DFL candidates for 5th District seat hold forum ahead of primary

Several of the DFL candidates running for Keith Ellison’s seat in Congress held their final forum Monday.

The candidates met at the Humphrey School for Public Affairs to discuss several campaign issues, including how to improve economic conditions for working families.

Former House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher said she would attack the issue from many angles.

“One is the one we just spoke about - education and having a public higher education system that is accessible and affordable. Being able to get a two-year degree, a certificate or a four-year degree is very important in this work to be able to bring up the ability of people to earn,” she said. “The second is one of the most important; the two most important drivers of how expensive it is to live is housing and healthcare.”

Representative Ilhan Omar added that “the way that we guarantee economic security for working families is [to work] on legislation to get a federal $15-dollar minimum wage and make sure we are investing in opportunities to buy a home and that we’re making and creating opportunities for affordable housing.”  

Patricia Torres Ray added she would support increasing the minimum wage, but said that “the other part of it is to develop jobs for the future, for the economy of the future."

Fellow candidates Frank Nelson Drake and Jamal Abdulahi were not present at the DFL forum.