Eighteen years in a refugee camp, then a seat in the Minnesota House: Abdi Daisane flips St. Cloud
He lost the same race by 13 points in 2024. This time the Somali-American business owner won, becoming St. Cloud's first Somali-American state lawmaker.
St. Cloud — Abdi Daisane has won Minnesota House District 14A, becoming St. Cloud's first Somali-American state lawmaker and taking the seat from the Republicans.
The Democrat took about 52% of the vote against the Republican Mike Conway, president of the St. Cloud City Council. He is the first Democrat to win the district since 1990.
From the camp to a child care centre
Daisane is one of six children born to Somali parents, and he spent 18 years in a refugee camp in Kenya. He reached the United States through the UN refugee programme in 2009, settling first in Omaha, Nebraska.
He moved to Minnesota in 2013 to attend St. Cloud State University, where he took a bachelor's degree and a master's in public administration. He now runs Blooming Kids Child Care Center and a consulting firm in the city.
A second attempt
In 2024 he ran for the same seat and lost to the Republican Bernie Perryman, with 43.5% to 56.3%. He was one of the first people of colour endorsed by the Democrats in central Minnesota. "There's fear in seeing a Black, Muslim, immigrant candidate seeking to serve," he told Sahan Journal at the time.
That campaign centred on housing, health care, child care and education. "Having a stable house is the foundation for success," he said.
His win was part of a strong night for his party, which regained control of Minnesota's legislature and governorship.
Source: MPR News, Sahan Journal, Minnesota Election Archives, Yahoo News, November 2026.
