RELEASE: State Representative Jim Davnie will not seek reelection in 2022

St. Paul, MN – Today, State Representative Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) announced he will not seek reelection to the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 2022 general election.

“I thank the residents and families of south Minneapolis for entrusting me with their voices over the past 21 years at the State Capitol,” said Rep. Davnie. “Despite the unquestionable challenges our community has faced since then – locally and nationally – we continue to emerge stronger and more resilient because our neighbors recognize that when work together, we can all thrive moving forward.”

First elected in 2000, Rep. Jim Davnie currently represents all or part of the Seward, Longfellow, Corcoran, Bancroft, and Standish neighborhoods in South Minneapolis in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He is the current Chair of the House Education Finance Committee, having served in that role since January 2019. In previous sessions, he has served as chair of the Property Tax & Local Government Finance Division and the Consumer & Labor Division as well as serving on the Early Childhood, Tax, Workforce Development, Education Policy, and Commerce committees. At the legislature, Rep. Davnie has been a steadfast leader in investing in our youngest generation, strengthening the urban quality of life, protecting consumers, promoting economic and social justice, and protecting the environment.

“It has been such an honor to work with neighbors from all walks of life so we can deliver on our community’s values, together, which have been centered on lifting each other up; ensuring all our students across the state can receive the quality public education they deserve; getting working families the resources in place so they can thrive; protecting our environment and precious Boundary Waters for Minnesota’s future generations, and so much more,” Davnie continued. “I am grateful to my colleagues past and present for their insights, expertise, shared advocacy, and collegiality.”

Before his election to the legislature, Rep. Davnie served four years on the board of the Seward Neighborhood Group, including representing the neighborhood on the Hiawatha LRT Citizens Advisory Committee during the development of the Hiawatha light rail line. His community involvement has included serving on the board of the African Health Action, a nonprofit focused on HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis education and prevention in the African-born community in Minnesota. Additionally, Rep. Davnie served on the Advisory Board of the Personal Finance Center, a project of Faith in the City that provided Individual Development Accounts, a form of matched savings for low-income people saving for college, home ownership, or business. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for Camp du Nord, a family camp operated by the YMCA of the North.