Susan Allen

Susan Allen (born March 27, 1963) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 62B, a southside district encompassing the Powderhorn and Bryant neighborhoods of Minneapolis. She is the first Native American woman to serve in the Minnesota Legislature and the first openly lesbian Native American to win election to a state legislature.

Early life, education, and career

The daughter of an Episcopal priest, Allen graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis in 1992. She later earned a J.D. from the University of New Mexico Law School (1995) and an LL.M. from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul (1999). She became a practicing attorney in 1997 and a partner of her law firm in 2004.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Allen is one of three openly gay members, alongside DFLers Representative Karen Clark and Senator Scott Dibble, in the Minnesota Legislature.

Elections

When state representative Jeff Hayden was elected to the Minnesota Senate in October 2011, he vacated his seat in the House of Representatives. Allen was one of four DFLers to put themselves forward for the seat and, at the DFL nominating convention held on November 12, she received the party's endorsement on the third ballot. She nevertheless faced a primary election on December 6, facing three opponents, two of whom had suspended their campaigns after losing at the convention. Allen won the nomination handily, taking over 82% of the vote in the primary. In the general election held on January 10, 2012, she faced only one opponent, who ran under the "Respect" label, beating him 56–43%.

She was re-elected in the 2012 general election.

Personal life

As an attorney, Allen specializes in serving Indian tribes, helping them draft tribal laws in a wide range of areas. She is Lakota and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.