Alicia Kozlowski facts for kids

Alicia Kozlowski (/kəzˈlaʊski/; Ojibwe: Ozaawaa Anakwad; born January 12, 1988) is an American politician serving as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Kozlowski represents District 8B in northeastern Minnesota, which includes the city of Duluth and parts of St. Louis County.

Early life, education and career

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Kozlowski is the child of a Mexican union electrician father and a Fond du Lac Band Ojibwe mother. They were raised by their grandmother and adopted in adulthood by a native family. Their adoptive father, Ray "Skip" Sandman, was an Anishinaabe spiritual leader and ran twice for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.

Kozlowski is a first-generation college graduate, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2009 and a Master of Business Administration from the College of St. Scholastica in 2017.

From 2019 to 2021, Kozlowski worked as a community relations officer for the City of Duluth and Mayor Emily Larson, where they advocated to remove the word "chief" from city job titles and helped create a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People Reward Fund, the first in Minnesota.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Kozlowski was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2022. They first ran after four-term DFL incumbent Jennifer Schultz announced they would not seek reelection and would run for the 8th Congressional District. Kozlowski defeated Duluth City Council president Arik Forsman in the DFL primary. When they took office, Kozlowski became the first nonbinary member of the Minnesota Legislature, the second two-spirit member, after Susan Allen, and the first Mexican and first Ojibwe person to represent Duluth.

Kozlowski serves on the Capital Investment, Economic Development Finance and Policy, Housing Finance and Policy, and Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committees. They are the vice chair of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and a member of the legislator's first Queer Caucus, made up of LGBTQ+ members.

Kozlowski was highlighted as part of Minnesota Public Radio's 2023 "Changemakers" series, which showcases Minnesotans from diverse backgrounds making an impact in the state.

Political positions

Kozlowski campaigned on increasing support for working families through universal childcare and fully-funded education, protecting the environment through "prove it first" mining permit legislation, and affordable healthcare for all.

..... They have spoken out in favor of legislation making Minnesota a "trans refuge state" for those seeking gender-affirming care and have pushed for creating inclusive schools and increasing housing access for disadvantaged communities. Kozlowski authored a law adding gender-neutral bathrooms in Minnesota schools in 2023.

Kozlowski supported efforts to increase funding for the state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. Native American women and girls are only 1% of Minnesota's population but made up 8% of all murdered women and girls from 2010 through 2018.

Electoral results

Personal life

Kozlowski lives in Duluth, Minnesota. Their Ojibwe name is Ozaawaa Anakwad ("Yellow Cloud") and they identify as both nonbinary and two-spirit.