MINNEAPOLIS, MN – On April 18th, 2026, at their state endorsing convention, the Green Party of Minnesota (GPMN) endorsed four candidates for the 2026 election: Steven Young and Jane Kirby for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively, Seth Kuhl-Stennes for Secretary of State, and Ngone Niang for the District 39 State Senate seat.

Green Party of Minnesota
mngreens.nationbuilder.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2026

Contact:
[email protected]

"People are waking up to the corruption in both the Democrat and Republican parties. Corporate money and special interest money in both parties is likely the reason we don't have universal healthcare, regulation on toxic chemicals, or superior public schools,” said Green Party of Minnesota Co-chair Rachel Braaten. “It's also the reason we have been funding a genocide abroad, racist immigration policies, and subsidization of the fossil fuel industry.”

“I offer my congratulations to all the outstanding Green Party-endorsed candidates,” said Young, who lives in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis with his wife and two children. “I look forward to working with them in the weeks ahead to engage with people throughout the state to better understand their concerns and hopes and share our ideas to make our government more accountable, responsive, and effective, and make Minnesota a more just, peaceful, and sustainable place for everyone.”

Steven Young is an attorney with 9 years of experience in corporate law, who currently serves as a volunteer on the Minneapolis Food Council. Before law school, he served in the US Marine Corps for 12 years as an infantry unit leader. He coached high school lacrosse for 7 years and has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, church congregations, and Veterans For Peace. He owned and operated a small business, the Bryn Mawr Market, and has been very active in the community response to Operation Metro Surge. In addition to strong protections for the natural environment, support for single-payer healthcare, and a guaranteed basic income, he supports boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, and an end to federal immigration operations in the state and closure of the detainment center at the Whipple Building.

Jane Kirby, a mother of five who now lives in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul, grew up in Eagan, went to Burnsville High School, and holds a master's degree in elementary education. She has worked for 35 years and operated a business as a midwife.

“I want to offer voters a Green alternative for governor and help build a healthy multiparty democracy in Minnesota,” Kirby said.

“As a 20-year Green, I am thrilled to earn the endorsement of the Green Party of Minnesota,” said Seth Kuhl-Stennes, who currently lives in South Minneapolis with his wife and one child. “I look forward to elevating the Pillars of the Green Party - Social & Economic Justice, Grassroots Democracy, Nonviolence, and Ecological Wisdom - in my candidacy for Secretary of State. I am energized to connect those values to the work of the Secretary of State’s Office to better serve our democracy and economy in Minnesota.”

Seth Kuhl-Stennes was born and raised in northern MN and earned a degree in Political Science from St. John’s University. He has worked in cooperatives, for-profit businesses, and nonprofits, including seven years of union workplace involvement at Eastside Food Co op with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663, where he was an active member on the first contract union bargaining team before being selected as a shop steward and serving on the Labor Management Committee. He is currently a member of The Office of Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 12 through his employment with the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), where he has worked since May 2024, and he also serves on the Labor Management Committee.

“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of the Green Party of Minnesota,” said Niang, who grew up in Alabama, the youngest of eight children, and now lives in St. Anthony. “This campaign is rooted in real community engagement — listening to people, understanding their needs, and working toward solutions that reflect their lived realities. I’m energized to move forward and build a campaign that centers equity, accountability, and the voices of District 39.”

Ngone Niang is a political scientist and community organizer whose professional and community based work has focused on food access, youth programming, and community support systems. She is married and has two sons. Her campaign is grounded in the Green Party values of grassroots democracy, decentralization, and social justice, and her core goals are supporting working families, strengthening community-based solutions, and ensuring every voice in District 39 is represented.

“The Green Party has seen dramatic growth and renewed interest recently, and we are very happy to offer alternatives. The Green Party has never and will never accept any corporate money, and we only accept donations from ordinary people," said Braaten.

The Green Party offers a future-focused alternative rooted in the needs of people and our planet, with a vision for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful state for generations to come.

For more information, email GPMN at [email protected] or call GPMN Co-Chair Cam Gordon at 612-296-0579.

Green Party of Minnesota
mngreens.nationbuilder.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2026

Contact:
[email protected]