Our state’s recent history has reminded us of all that’s at stake in this consequential moment: our democracy, our rights, our very humanity. It's a moment that calls for us to fight for our shared Democratic values. It's a moment that calls for strong state leaders – leaders who listen first, speak honestly, and lead with empathy and resolve.

I’m here to answer that calling at this critical time for our state and our country.

But first, I want to thank you. Thank you for committing your time and talents to this practice of grassroots democracy. Thank you for organizing, marching, and persisting through our shared tragedies with a focus on our shared values – and as a reminder of our shared hope for a better future. Together, I believe we can help our community heal, grow, and thrive once more. 

As a journalist, I’ve newly stepped into public political life – but I’m not new to listening, asking hard questions, or tackling complex issues head-on. For years, my work has centered on making sure people feel seen, heard, and understood, especially during moments of crisis and change, when the conversations are hard and the stakes are high. As DFLers, we know we have the right message and the right priorities. This moment, especially, demands the right messenger. 

I’m ready to be a clear voice for our community.

I’m also ready to share my lifelong advocacy for our historically underserved and marginalized communities. I’m ready to bring my full heart and passion for every family struggling to afford dignified health care, especially those dealing with chronic health conditions like Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia – a challenge my family knows all too well. And I’m ready to fight for our children. My daughters, your children, every child deserves access to high quality and well-funded schools. Every child deserves policies that protect our natural resources and create a clean energy future. Every child deserves to be safe at school, which requires stronger gun safety laws. And we cannot allow the freedoms that previous generations fought for and my generation has enjoyed, including reproductive rights, to be stripped away from this generation.

I’m ready to lead with conviction, compassion and courage. 

I was pregnant with my second daughter – now a 14-year-old at South View Middle School in Edina – when I first started talking to DFL leaders about seeking public office. For me, it was never a question of “if” I would serve, but “when.” That question was answered by a young woman I interviewed in the wake of Alex Pretti’s tragic death: “This was just the last straw.”

That is why I’m here, friends. I believe this moment calls for leaders who listen first and lead forward. As the late Senator Paul Wellstone, who was one of my first interviews early in my journalism career, famously said:  

“We all do better, when we all do better.”

I ask for your support to be your next Democratic Senator and your voice in St. Paul. Together we will write what’s next.

With gratitude and hope,

Karla Hult 

Candidate for the Minnesota State Senate
District 50