Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Aurin Chowdhury, Minneapolis City Council Ward 12
Today we are profiling Aurin Chowdhury (she/they), a Gen Z daughter of working-class Bengali immigrants who was elected councilwoman for Ward 12 on the Minneapolis City Council who is running for re-election on the Democratic-Farmer-Labor ticket. This former community organizer’s platform includes addressing homelessness humanely and with dignity, shaping public safety with community, standing strong on police accountability, and building a just and equitable climate resilient city.
© Drew Arrieta
Where are you based?
I live in and represent a part of South Minneapolis.
What is your position/what position are you running for?
I am proud to be the City Councilwoman representing the 12th Ward of Minneapolis. I was first elected in 2023, and I am overjoyed to be running for re-election to a four year term and to continue representing our ward.
How would you briefly summarize your platform?
My platform is one which seeks to collectively build and advance a healthy, safe, and connected multigenerational, multiracial community here in Ward 12 and across Minneapolis. My platform is one which is predicated on working collaboratively to move our city forward.
Some of my priorities include investing in affordable housing, addressing homelessness humanely, supporting small businesses, building an equitable climate resilient city, standing strong on police accountability, and delivering good governance.
It is a platform which acts on the immediate needs of our community, and will deliver the progress we need to make a better world.
© Drew Arrieta
What inspired you to run?
Before running for office, I spent nearly a decade as a community organizer and policy aide in Minneapolis, building community power and fighting for progressive policies that uplift our neighbors’ standard of living. I worked on issues like housing justice, climate action, workers' rights, and reproductive freedom, and built the bench of local leaders by helping to elect other progressive women of color into office.
I decided to run for Minneapolis City Council to represent Ward 12 - the place I call home - because I was inspired by the stories I encountered in my years of community organizing and my desire to create a safer and more vibrant city. My experience in constituent services for various Minneapolis officials further solidified my desire to serve my community at City Hall.
What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
I have a strong record of public service and advocacy. I’ve built a reputation of rolling up my sleeves and working directly with our neighbors. Now more than ever, we need leadership that not only defends our communities from attacks at the federal level, but leadership that acts on the immediate needs of our community, and delivers the progress we need to make a better world. That's the kind of leader I am and will continue to be. Together, we can build the city we deserve block by block and policy by policy.
© Drew Arrieta
How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
In the year and eight months that I have been in office so far, we have accomplished a lot together, including:
Allocated funds for programs that help our seniors age in place, and support the caregivers helping seniors and people with disabilities live independently.
Led on humanely addressing unsheltered homelessness and authoring an encampment removal reporting ordinance to increase transparency and accountability, and ensure residents are treated with respect and dignity.
Led on public safety service expansions by establishing a Safety Center, and allocating funding for safety services, including transit safety programming along transit corridors.
Implemented new traffic calming measures on major corridors to reduce speeding and prevent accidents, with extra emphasis near schools.
Created a new loan program for businesses impacted by road construction and other hardships.
Worked with the community and other electeds to help save a local playground from removal.
What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Safe, Accessible, and Affordable Housing: As a Council woman I believe that regardless of our income, we all deserve safe and stable housing that we can afford—no exceptions. A stable home should not be a luxury. But as the cost of living rises, many people in our city are struggling to afford their lives. This disproportionately impacts our Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, and working neighbors and families. At the local level, the goal is to continue to be responsive and creative in making housing affordable and possible, whether you are a homeowner or renter.
Shaping Public Safety Together: We all deserve to feel safe in our neighborhoods, schools, and homes. For too long, public safety in our city has felt disjointed, stretched thin, and focused on reacting to crime as opposed to preventing it. We deserve a fully-funded public safety system that unequivocally works for all of us. Our community wants a system built around culturally competent mental health response, violence prevention, and de-escalation. This will allow the city to respond to emergency calls quickly and efficiently. Every community deserves quality public safety services.
America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
Our country is sharply divided. At this critical inflection point in our nation, where political polarization is at an all time high and politically motivated violence is on the rise, we find ourselves in a moment of political volatility. I believe that in moments like these, hyper-local government at the municipal level is the last line of defense in protecting the most marginalized and vulnerable members of our communities. That is why it is important to have collaborative leaders in local government who will work to unite our communities and stand strong against hate and affronts to our freedoms. It is incumbent on us to do everything in our power to protect each other.
© Drew Arrieta
How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
I am immensely proud to be a Southsider. I’m a first-generation Bengali-American, daughter of working-class immigrants, community organizer, former policy aide, and renter. The intersectionality of all these identities help give me a unique perspective and shape my decision making on the Council. I take a collaborative approach to leadership, working closely alongside neighbors and constituents to deliver people centered policies. I’m running for re-election to continue fighting for working families, delivering progressive change for our communities, and working collaboratively to move our city forward.
What is your motto in life?
People over profit. Trust the process. A better world is possible.
Where can we find out more about you?
You can learn more about my accomplishments and vision for Minneapolis on my campaign website, www.aurinchowdhury.org. You can also find my campaign on all social media platforms: @TeamAurin on Instagram, @AurinMPLS on Facebook, X, and Bluesky.