Jenkins won’t seek fourth term on Minneapolis City Council
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Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins said Monday she will not seek reelection this fall.
“After several months of introspection and vacillation, I’ve decided this is my last term in office,” she wrote to her constituents in an email. “It has, indeed, been the honor of my life to serve as your Council Member.”
Now in her third term, Jenkins, 63, made history in 2017 as the first Black openly transgender woman to be elected to office in the United States. She won Ward 8, which covers neighborhoods in south Minneapolis.
Jenkins’ experience at Minneapolis City Hall began nearly 25 years ago. Jenkins was appointed as a policy aide to council member Robert Lilligren in 2001. She has also served as an aide to council member Elizabeth Glidden.
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As an elected official, Jenkins has been a vocal advocate for police reforms. Jenkins was one of nine council members who in 2020 took to a stage in Powderhorn Park following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer and called for significant changes in how the city provides public safety. The words “Defund Police” stood in front of the stage.
Jenkins has also spearheaded efforts to provide visibility and protection for members of the LGBTQ+ community. She began organizing the city’s annual Trans Equity Summit before she was elected to office.
Jenkins' email to constituents doesn’t say exactly why she decided to leave office next year, nor does it say what she plans to do next.
Soren Stevenson, who challenged Jenkins in 2021, plans to run again for the Ward 8 seat.