My name is Cheniqua Johnson (she/her/hers)

I am a lifelong Minnesotan and proud first-generation homeowner on the East Side in Dayton’s Bluff. My story is the same as many of us who call the East Side home. Both of my parents worked incredibly hard to ensure that my brother and I could succeed. My mother worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant and my father, after many years, retired from being a labor worker at a pork production plant in southwest Minnesota. Both of them taught me the importance of standing up for the rights of ourselves and others including our labor unions, caregivers, those who work in the trades, and other frontline workers, and working families. In my household, my father was the primary caregiver until he passed away at age 96. Following his passing, my mother took on caring for my brother, who has disabilities and is a vulnerable adult, full-time and did her best to continue supporting me. 

 I was drawn to the East Side because it's full of families like the one I grew up in who are working hard to build a better life for themselves, our seniors, and for the next generation. As we look to the future of our community, we have an opportunity to do so much more to ensure that our part of Saint Paul has the same access to the resources and opportunities that other parts of the city enjoy. I am running to be our next council member for Ward 7 so I can work with you to fight for our families, our neighbors, our businesses, and our workers. 

Grounded in the values instilled in me by my family, I’ve dedicated my life to organizing and advocating to build a better Minnesota. Since graduating from the University of Minnesota as the first person in my family to graduate from a four-year institution, I’ve sought opportunities to work alongside those who are working to build up our communities. As a constituent services and policy aide to Congressman Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley, I worked with residents to navigate federal and county government to find solutions to the challenges we faced. I most recently organized with Saint Paul residents to support the campaign of incoming Ramsey County Commissioner, Rena Moran. At the same time, as our Minnesota DFL State Outreach and Inclusion Officer, I have worked with leaders across our state to re-elect Governor Tim Walz and Democrats up and down the ballot. In my role as a Program Officer at the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation and the East Side Funders Group, I have worked over the last two years with local organizations to bring over $2 million in resources to our community to help improve health and wellness in our neighborhoods. I am also proud to have also served on the 2022 Saint Paul Police Chief Selection Committee, bringing our East Side values to the work of selecting a chief who will take an approach to policing where we can all feel safer, protected, and included.

As an experienced political organizer and philanthropic leader, I have spent my career advocating for what will be my top priorities as our council member for Ward 7: safe and stable homes for all, climate action and sustainability, economic justice, comprehensive public safety, and strong city services. Over a third of Ward 7 residents are under the age of 35, and we have the fastest-growing population of young people and families in the city. As our Councilmember, I’ll put our families and community first in every decision. In our ward, the average family income is less than $75,000 a year.  I’ll consistently work to ensure no family has to choose between having a nutritious meal or a roof over their heads. In a ward that is half renters and half homeowners, you can count on me to advocate for both. In a ward where over 60% of our neighbors are Black, Indigenous, Hmong, Somali, or Latinx, you can count on me to echo your voices at City Hall and partner with you toward solutions. In a Ward rich with local small businesses and organizations, you can count on me to be your partner in achieving economic vitality. 

 I’m proud to call Saint Paul and the East Side home, and I want to keep uplifting our community together at City Hall. The East Side is a place where we consistently take care of each other. I am running to be our next Councilwoman to make sure we’re always included – to keep accomplishing great things together for the East Side, and to have a capable, positive, and community-focused leader that works with everybody for our shared future. I would be honored to earn your vote, and I look forward to hearing about what is most important to you.