Esther Agbaje (born March 19, 1985) is an American politician serving in the
Minnesota House of Representatives since 2021. A member of the
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Agbaje represents District 59B, which includes portions of north and downtown
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
in
Hennepin County,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.
Early life, education, and career
Agbaje was born in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...
, to parents who immigrated to Minnesota from
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. She grew up in
Brainerd and
Faribault, and graduated from
Shattuck-St. Mary's
Shattuck-St. Mary's (also known as Shattuck-St. Mary's School, Shattuck, or simply SSM) is a coeducational Episcopal-affiliated boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota, United States. Established in 1858 as an Episcopal mission school and s ...
Boarding School.
Agbaje graduated from
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
with a
bachelor of arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in political science, the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
with a
master of public administration
The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...
, and
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
with a
juris doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
.
As a law student, she worked at Harvard's Legal Aid Bureau and volunteered for Volunteer Lawyers Network Housing Court Project.
Before law school, Agbaje worked at the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...
as a
Foreign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer (FSO) is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U ...
focusing on the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.
She is an associate attorney with Ciresi Conlin LLP, where she practices in general civil litigation and medical malpractice. She also did
pro bono
( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...
work helping renters dealing with
housing insecurity
Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether it ...
and evictions.
Minnesota House of Representatives
Agbaje was elected to the
Minnesota House of Representatives in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
and reelected in
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
. She challenged four-term
DFL incumbent
Raymond Dehn
Raymond Howard Dehn ( ; born September 14, 1957) is a Minnesota politician and community organizer who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he last represented Distr ...
, winning the DFL endorsement and defeating Dehn in the primary election.
Agbaje serves as vice chair of the Housing Finance and Policy Committee, and sits on the Elections Finance and Policy, Taxes, and Ways and Means Committees. She has served as an assistant majority leader since 2023.
Agbaje co-chairs the House People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and is vice chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus.
Political positions
Housing and tenants' rights
Agbaje has called for greater investment in housing, calling housing a human right, and authored a bill that would provide $45 million in funding to
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
to repair affordable housing units.
As vice chair of the Housing Committee, Agbaje authored many tenant protection provisions contained in the final housing budget, saying expungement of eviction filings was her top concern due to its impact on people's ability to find housing. She sponsored legislation that gave more rights and protections to those who use self-storage units, especially those who have recently been evicted.
The CROWN Act
Agbaje authored the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. The legislation adds a definition of race that includes natural hairstyles and protects Minnesotans from discrimination based on hairstyle. Agbaje testified about her experience straightening her hair for fear of losing a job or not being perceived as professional. The legislation passed the House in February 2022 but was not acted on by the Republican-controlled
Minnesota Senate. In 2023 the bill passed both houses of the legislature and was signed by Governor
Tim Walz
Timothy James Walz ( ; born April 6, 1964) is an American politician and retired educator. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he has served as the 41st governor of Minnesota since 2019.
Born in West Point, Nebraska, Walz ...
.
Public safety and criminal justice reform
Agbaje signed on to a letter by U.S. Representative
Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
asking the
Department of Justice to expand its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department following the
murder of George Floyd
On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...
. Agbaje lives in the building where Minneapolis police shot and
killed Amir Locke and has been a longtime supporter of police reform, including banning no-knock warrants.
In 2023 she authored legislation to eliminate fees that state inmates pay for phone calls, saying it will help inmates stay connected with their families and reenter society after incarceration. She also wrote a law lowering the threshold for pardons and commutations from unanimous support of the state Board of Pardons to a two-thirds majority.
During the
2021 Minneapolis mayoral election
A mayoral election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the Mayor of Minneapolis, mayor of the U.S. city of Minneapolis. Incumbent DFL mayor Jacob Frey won reelection to a second term, becoming the first Minneapolis mayor to win a second term ...
, Agbaje did not endorse incumbent
Jacob Frey, and signed on to a letter that advocated for a "new mayor" who would do more to end racial disparities and increase public safety. She supported voting "yes" on
City Question 2, which would have renamed the Minneapolis Police Department the Minneapolis Department of Public Safety, removed minimum staffing levels for sworn officers, and shifted oversight of the new agency from the mayor's office to the city council.
Other political positions
Agbaje is pro-choice, and in 2023 authored a bill that offered legal protections to patients who travel to Minnesota for an abortion and the providers who treat them. She sponsored a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to access MinnesotaCare, the state's health insurance for low-income families.
In 2023, Agbaje advocated against fully eliminating the state tax on
Social Security
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
income, saying it should be targeted to low- and middle-income seniors. She joined environmental advocates in pushing for the closing of a metal shredder in North
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
after a stockpile caught fire.
Electoral history
Personal life
Agbaje lives in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
.
References
External links
Official House of Representatives websiteOfficial campaign website*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agbaje, Esther
1985 births
Living people
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences alumni
American politicians of Nigerian descent
Fels Institute of Government alumni
Harvard Law School alumni
Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
Minnesota lawyers
21st-century American women lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
American women lawyers
Women state legislators in Minnesota
21st-century African-American lawyers