State Sen. Jen McEwen announces re-election bid, outlines legislative priorities

McEwen plans to continue efforts to tax the wealthy, expand healthcare access, and strengthen workers' rights.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 2:23pm

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On Wednesday, Duluth's State Senator Jen McEwen announced she is running for re-election. In her announcement, Sen. McEwen outlined her key legislative priorities, including replacing residential lead service lines, codifying the right to abortion, taxing the top 2% of earners, and strengthening workers' rights and unions.

Why it matters

As a prominent progressive voice in the Minnesota legislature, Sen. McEwen's re-election bid and policy agenda could have significant implications for the state's political landscape and the lives of its residents, particularly around issues of economic inequality, healthcare access, and workers' rights.

The details

In her announcement, Sen. McEwen said she plans to continue her efforts to make the wealthy pay more in taxes, with a focus on closing loopholes and using the additional revenue to fund public services. She also highlighted her work as Chair of the Labor Committee, where she has pushed to make it easier to join unions, expand rights for non-union workers, and allow hourly school workers to receive unemployment insurance.

  • On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Sen. McEwen announced her re-election bid.
  • In 2025, Sen. McEwen introduced a bill to tax the top 2% of earners in Minnesota an additional 2.6%, which would have raised over $1 billion per year.
  • Sen. McEwen was first elected to the state Senate in 2020 and won re-election in 2022 with 71% of the vote.

The players

Jen McEwen

A Democratic state senator representing Duluth, Minnesota, who is running for re-election. She is a prominent progressive voice in the Minnesota legislature, known for her efforts to tax the wealthy, expand healthcare access, and strengthen workers' rights.

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What they’re saying

“It didn't feel right to do a press conference with what is happening in our city and state. We need to be doing everything we can to hold people accountable, and I'm fighting with you.”

— Jen McEwen, State Senator

“Too often we are told that we don't have the money to meet the basic needs of our people. But that's not true. We live in a wealthy state, in the wealthiest nation to ever exist on the planet. The problem we face is our extreme wealth inequality.”

— Jen McEwen, State Senator

What’s next

Sen. McEwen's re-election campaign will likely be closely watched, as her progressive policy agenda could have significant implications for Minnesota's political landscape.

The takeaway

Sen. McEwen's re-election bid and policy priorities highlight the growing influence of progressive voices in the Minnesota legislature, as she seeks to address issues of economic inequality, healthcare access, and workers' rights through legislative action.