Run for Minnesota House a Natural Next Step, District 622 Board Member Says

Seeking a seat in the Minnesota Legislature seemed like a natural next step for District 622 School Board member Pam Cunningham, she said, with her current term ending this year.

 “I didn’t ever plan to be on the school board forever,” she said, “but I love being engaged in the community and in the politics part of it.”

Cunningham recently received the Republican endorsement to run for the House seat in District 53A, which includes southern Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale south of 10th Street and the northwest corner of Woodbury.

Over her years on the school board, Cunningham said she’s learned firsthand how decisions at the state level influence the local levels of government.

Naturally, Cunningham's interested in education, she said, but she's also interested in healthcare. Cunningham has been a nurse for 30 years, and her husband is a doctor in Woodbury.

She wants to see more local control over healthcare, she said.

She’s also interested in supporting small businesses and families, she said.

“Anything you can do to support families, be it job accessibility for families … housing,” she said, “anything we can do to support strong families is very important.”

Cunningham said she has the full support of her husband of 27 years, Bruce, and she’s ready to get out door-knocking, fundraising and meeting people.

“I’m in this 100 percent and we’ll proceed accordingly,” she said. “I’m really excited about it.”

Cunningham works as a nursing supervisor at St. Mary’s Health Clinics, she said, and lives in Maplewood. She and her husband have four adult children. 

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