Jamael Lundy Announces Run for Minnesota Senate District 65

St. Paul resident, small business owner, and longtime government staffer Jamael Lundy has announced his candidacy for Minnesota Senate District 65, citing a need for bold state leadership amid federal actions he says are destabilizing local communities.

“These are tough times,” Lundy said. “And tough times demand leaders who are willing to think bigger, act faster, and govern with courage. When federal authorities act without accountability and put our neighbors at risk, state leaders must be willing to stand up and intervene. The scale of our solutions must match the scale of our problems.”

Lundy has more than a decade of public service experience, including work at the Capitol and in the office of former State Representative Carlos Mariani.

District 65 is one of Minnesota’s most diverse areas and home to large Latino, East African, and Hmong populations—as well as St. Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood. Lundy says strong representation is critical as families face fear and instability.

“Our communities don’t need symbolism,” Lundy said. “They need leadership that understands how systems work, why they fail, and how to fix them — and that is willing to protect people when those systems are abused.”

His campaign focuses on three priorities: fully funding public education and supporting children’s well-being; expanding deeply affordable housing to stabilize neighborhoods; and advancing policies on immigration, police accountability and gun violence prevention.

Lundy has received endorsements from several Saint Paul-area legislators, including Carlos Mariani, Reps. Samakab Hussein, María Isa Pérez-Vega, and Sen. Foung Hawj.

Longtime District 65 Senator Sandy Pappas (DFL) announced in November that she would not be seeking re-election in 2026. Raiesha Williams announced her campaign against Lundy this week.