Kenyan -American Hudah Hiltsley has won the House 38A Seat defeating Republican Brad Olson, also of Brooklyn Park, in a House District 38A race.
Hiltsley received 64.78 percent and 10,005 total votes, while Olson garnered 34.95 percent and 5,398 votes.
“It doesn’t feel real,” she told CCX News. “I don’t think I was expecting to do that well. 65 [percent], that’s a big margin, right? That just goes to show you the work that my team has put into this race.”
There was no incumbent in the race. The seat was previously held by DFLer Mike Nelson of Brooklyn Park, who recently retired from political office.
With her election victory, Hiltsley made history. She’s the first Kenyan-American to hold a seat in the Minnesota House.
“That is history in the making,” she said. “Not only the first Kenyan-American in the Minnesota Legislature, but the first Kenyan-born in the whole entire U.S. to be elected into office.”
She’ll represent southwestern Brooklyn Park and Osseo in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Hiltsley won an August primary, narrowly defeating former Brooklyn Park City Council Member Wynfred Russell by a 50-vote margin.
