Two challenge Wonsley in Ward 2

Following a contentious Ward 2 Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Party convention where no candidate was endorsed, two DFLers, Shelley Madore and Michael Baskins, continue their campaigns to replace Robin Wonsley, the incumbent Ward 2 Council Member.

Who
Baskins was born and raised near Detroit, Mich. He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech University and moved to Minnesota in 2019 to work for Polaris. In 2023, Baskins ran for the Ward 2 seat as a write-in candidate and received 484 of the 2,042 votes cast.
Baskins points to his work in the private sector as something that qualifies him to be on the council. “I have over eight years of engineering leadership experience for companies such as Polaris and Lucid Motors making hard decisions between competing interests to find the best solution given the constraints within which we are working as a team or company,” he said. “This is one of the critical flaws with the activist council members such as Robin Wonsley who do not know how to compromise, how to work alongside others with slightly different positions, and who are willing to damage the city’s quality of life and finances in order to ‘win’ an argument.”
“No endorsements have been provided yet,” Baskins said.
Madore, the mother of two adult children, was born and raised in Hartford, Conn. She has a bachelor’s degree in disability studies from the City University of New York. She moved Minnesota in 1991 and was elected State Representative for District 37A, Apple Valley-Burnsville, serving one term from 2007–2009. She ran unsuccessfully for congress in 2010 and worked recently as the director of the Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office, a state agency supporting people with disabilities.
Madore points to her time at the state legislature and serving as vice chair of the Transportation and Transit Subcommittee as one experience that qualifies her to be a council member. “I was in this position when the 35W bridge collapsed, and I worked closely with the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak to secure funding and resources to rebuild the bridge in just one year,” she said. “I supported increased transportation funding and was part of the historic gas tax veto override that provided much-needed direct revenue to build out the metro transit system. As a legislator, it is important to manage community engagement and build coalitions for the good of all - qualifications necessary to a successful city council member.”
Madore was listed as the only ward 2 recommended candidate on the All of Minneapolis PAC’s 2025 Caucus Guide. “I was seeking the DFL endorsement at the Ward 2 DFL Convention, but the convention adjourned before a second ballot could be distributed,” she said. “At that time, I had 55 percent of the delegate votes.” She said that she has been endorsed by the DFL four times throughout her career.
Wonsley was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and moved to Minneapolis in 2014. She graduated from Carleton College, and earned a graduate degree in nonprofit management from St. Thomas University in 2018. She recently began a PhD program in gender, women, and sexuality studies at the University of Minnesota. Before being elected, Wonsley worked for 15Now MN and for Education Minnesota.
She was first elected in 2021. “As council member,” she said, “I have been a steadfast advocate for the city’s working class, renters, immigrants, students, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.”
Wonsley has the endorsements of Ilhan Omar; Keith Ellison; Hennepin County Commissioners Angela Conley and Irene Fernando; State Senator Omar Fateh; State Representatives Samantha Sencer-Mura, Mohamud Noor, Esther Agbaje, Cedrick Frazier, Aisha Gomez, Fue Lee, Athena Hollins, and Maria Isa; and fellow council members Elliott Payne, Aisha Chughtai, Jeremiah Ellison, Jason Chavez, Aurin Chowdhury, and Jamal Osman. Organizations endorsing her include the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, OutFront Minnesota Action, SEIU Minnesota, LIUNA Minnesota, the UMN Graduate Labor Union, Sunrise Twin Cities, Take Action MN, Twin Cities DSA, UNITE HERE Local 17, Women Winning, and the UMN College Democrats.
“I did not seek the DFL endorsement, she said, “but I am seeking the Green Party endorsement.”

What
Baskins prioritizes public safety, a budget crisis with rising taxes, and rethinking city planning on his website where he says it is time to “reexamine the way Minneapolis does urban planning in the 2040 plan.” Education, homelessness, affordable housing, BIPOC success and good jobs are also highlighted.
Baskins thinks the current mayor and council “are doing a good job keeping the interests of the marginalized populations in the forefront of conversations to make sure decisions are taking understanding the lower wealth and access to healthcare and other public services that these populations deal with.”
He is critical of the current group’s inability to do “the work of compromising and working within the constraints of reality and the law to make decisions. One example,” he said, “is that on George Floyd Square the majority of the city council has held up progress on a redevelopment of the Square because they desire a site plan which goes against the law and the sentiments of the neighbors around the Square.”
Wonsley’s priorities are environmental justice, transportation equity and safe streets, housing for all, public safety beyond policing, accountability for MPD, strengthening the local economy for business and workers, workers’ rights, expanding local democracy, and supporting students and the campus communities.
She said that the council “has been meeting the Trump presidency with genuine, radical resistance. I am proud of the work we have done to protect the rights of Minneapolitans, like free speech, which has been slipping from important and vulnerable groups.”
She added, “The Mayor has had eight years to improve Minneapolis; instead, he blames me and my progressive colleagues for problems that occurred on his watch. Eight years is long enough to prove or dispel the promise of a mayor’s agenda; we can now confidently say that Frey’s vision hasn’t worked.”
Madore lists public safety, affordable housing, economic growth and transparent leadership as her priorities. She commends the mayor and council for their work on the Neighborhood Safety Department. “With the staffing changes, including the hiring of Director Amanda Harrington, the department can work collaboratively with strategic stakeholders to implement and oversee the progress of the Safe and Thriving Communities work plans,” Madore said.
She doesn’t like what she called “chaos in the current Minneapolis city government.”
“Effective governance comes from listening to residents and city professionals on every issue, not just following one party’s platform,” she said. “A factional council is not an effective council, and I do not intend to continue any of these political games that end with hurting our residents.”

Where
“I’ve lived in an apartment in the Seward neighborhood for over five years,” said Wonsley. “I love Seward for its density, its diverse demographics, and its proximity to so many of the things that make Ward 2 great: great schools and colleges, terrific restaurants, and robust public transit networks.”
Madore moved to Minneapolis in 2018 and lived much of the time in Ward 5 where she said she still owns rental property. State records show she voted Ward 5 in 2024, but she said that she now lives in Prospect Park. “One of my favorite things about the area is the many parks, walking trails,” she said.
“I’m in the Prospect Park Neighborhood,” said Baskins, “and one of my favorite things about the neighborhood is the beauty of the river parkway and the access to great trails and bike paths for running and riding.”

Why
“I am running for city council because we must return to good governance that provides the residents with the services they demand and deserve,” said Madore. “Grandstanding is not governing. Activism is not governing. Governing ensures our city streetlights work, potholes are filled, public services are met, and citizens feel safe walking about their neighborhoods.”
“I care about the future of Minneapolis and its people and am concerned about the leadership of the current city council,” Baskins said. “Minneapolis has been and will continue to be a great place to live as long as the right decisions are made by our city leadership. It is for this reason that I decided to run for council during this critical time for our city.”
“I am committed to collaborating with my colleagues for a just and equitable Minneapolis” said Wonsley. “My critics try to portray me as a radical progressive socialist, as if that’s a bad thing, because it’s easier than attacking me on the issues, and because my many concrete policy achievements are effective. In a third term, I aim to continue fighting for the issues Minneapolis residents care about – from public safety, to housing, to sustainability and more.”

How
When Madore makes decisions, she said “I start by figuring out what the problem is and who it affects. I talk with community members, experts, colleagues, and others involved to get the full picture. I look at the different options and think about how each one would affect people. Then I make the best decision I can based on the facts and what I’ve heard, and I explain why that decision was made. I help carry out the plan and make sure people understand it. If new information comes up, I’m willing to adjust. I believe in being honest, clear, and open throughout the process.”
“I use a decision-making strategy that listens to all constituents, not only the loudest in the room,” said Baskins. “I actively seek the opinions of all constituents through outreach on a personal level. From there, I balance the needs of all parties to provide a fair agreement that is a middle ground between all parties involved in most cases.”
“I won election in 2021 and 2023 by marshaling the support of a broad multiracial coalition of the working class, immigrants, students, people with disabilities, unhoused people, renters, and others who are traditionally shut out of politics,” said Wonsley. “When making decisions at City Hall, I take these individuals’ needs, expertise and perspectives into account. I have used, and will continue to use, grassroots organizing practices like door-to-door canvassing, meet-and-greets, and public town halls and rallies to gather input directly from community members.”