ABOUT SHANNON ANDRESON

I’m Shannon Andreson. I’m a public servant, an education advocate, and a longtime resident of Senate District 49. I believe government should work for people, and that those of us who serve should work just as hard for the communities we represent.

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I currently serve as Chair of the Hopkins School Board. I’ve been elected twice, and I earned the most votes in my first election. I don’t take that lightly. It’s a responsibility, and it’s a trust.

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Most of my life has been spent doing work that sits at the intersection of policy and real people’s lives. I know how much decisions made at the state level matter, because I’ve seen their impact up close, every day.

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The Work I’ve Done

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Before I ever ran for office, I spent 14 years working with my school district’s Legislative Action Coalition. Together, we built education priorities and worked directly with state legislators to advocate for what our community needed.
 

That experience taught me how the legislature works and how important it is for local voices to be heard.
 

As a school board member and chair, I’ve helped lead work that includes:

• Advocating for free school meals, and pushing that conversation from a local resolution to statewide law

• Working alongside students to create gender inclusion and racial equity policies

• Supporting a district-wide mental health and wellness policy

• Advancing conversations around affordable housing, so educators and staff can afford to live in the communities they serve

This wasn’t abstract work. It was about showing up, listening, and making systems work better for families.
 

Rooted Here
 

I’ve lived in Senate District 49 for 19 years and call Minnetonka home. I’m the parent of two children, including one with special needs, and I work as a special education paraprofessional. That means I work every day with some of the most vulnerable students, and I see firsthand what works, and what doesn’t.
 

My professional background is in nonprofit leadership and communications. I’ve served as Executive Director of an organization supporting families of children on the autism spectrum and as Communications Director for the Autism Society of Minnesota. I hold a master’s degree in journalism.
 

I’m also the guardian and conservator for my mother. Navigating healthcare and support systems on her behalf has made the failures of those systems deeply personal, and reinforced my belief that things should be easier to access, understand, and navigate.
 

Why I’m Running
 

I’m running for the Minnesota State Senate because I believe we have a responsibility to protect our communities, and to make sure our systems work for the people who rely on them.
 

My priorities include:
 

• Strengthening public education, including special education

• Expanding affordable housing

• Protecting bodily autonomy and personal freedoms

• Supporting mental health care and accessible healthcare

• Standing up for LGBTQ+ communities

• Advancing common-sense gun safety laws
   

These issues are connected. They come down to whether people feel safe, supported, and seen, and whether government is doing its job.

I’ve spent my career working in spaces where people are often scared, overwhelmed, or pushed aside. I know what it means to stand alongside families and say: you are not alone.
 

That’s why I’m running. Because things should work for people. And I want to work for you.