Why I’m Running

Dear Neighbors,

My name is Garrison McMurtrey. I’m a proud husband, Como resident, DFLer, and experienced leader running to serve as your next Ramsey County Commissioner. I’m running because together, we can build a community for future generations.

Like many across our district, my journey did not begin here. I was born in Mississippi and raised by my mother, Sheila, my grandmother O’dell, and my aunt Doris. I am the person I am today because of the lessons and values these strong, brilliant women instilled in me. Early on, they taught me the importance of an education, hard work, and doing my part to make our community better than it was the day before. 

Over ten years ago, I made my way to St. Paul to pursue my Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. I instantly fell in love with this city and knew I wanted to call St. Paul home. From there, I devoted my professional and personal time towards building a bright future for my community.  We’ve all heard the saying, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” It’s cliche, but true. The future we must build can’t happen if we’re only hearing from the same folks. Missing voices means missed opportunity. 

My work has spanned across a variety of industries, all tied together by the common value of helping enhance people’s lives:

• Strengthening our workforce- As Outreach Director for U.S Senator Amy Klobuchar, I brought people together across sectors to craft a robust workforce development bill that invested in apprenticeship programs.

• Helping businesses become better neighbors- While working in the private sector for Target Corporation, I collaborated with stakeholders to make Target a better community partner.

• Promoting responsible development- While serving on the St. Paul Planning Commission, I worked to promote development, not displacement.

In my current role as the District Director for U.S. Congresswoman Angie Craig, I lead a team that works tirelessly on behalf of constituents to help with their toughest problems, whether it’s getting a work visa or recovering thousands of dollars from social security benefits. I am proud of this work. Residents know they can count on our office to help with some of the challenges they are facing. 

As I look at Ramsey County, I can see the good work that has been done to create an environment for our communities to thrive. But the work is far from over. Now it’s time for us to build upon the progress we have made and think even bigger. We need ideas and policies that set us up for the next one hundred years. Policies that meet this moment and bring the fight for economic justice to the forefront. 

What impacts one of us, impacts all of us. What lies ahead will take each of us working together to build the community we deserve. From creating deeply affordable housing to building safe roads to walk, bike, and drive, to investing in clean energy programs, to establishing public safety that’s community-centered, we must commit to an economy that is equitable, just and built for future generations. 

I love this community and believe in the opportunities ahead of us. I am excited to get to work with you, to fight for economic justice, and build a community that’s ready for future generations. I would be honored to earn your support.

Garrison McMurtrey