Two step up to replace Jenkins in Ward 8

On Nov. 4, 2025 voters in Minneapolis will elect city council members for all 13 wards, three at-large park board commissioners, six district park board commissioners, two members of the board of estimate and taxation (BET) and one mayor.
Even though the candidate filing period doesn’t start until July 29, candidates are already at work holding meetings, making phone calls and knocking on doors.
But this year current Ward 8 Council Member Andrea Jenkins isn’t one of them. On March 3, she announced that she will not be seeking another term.
“It has, indeed, been the honor of my life to serve as your council member. During that time, I served as Council President and Vice President during some of the most challenging times in Minneapolis history,” said Jenkins in her written announcement. “Minneapolis is a great city and I believe Ward 8 is the soul of this city.”
So far, two candidates, Soren Stevenson and Josh Bassais, are running. They both had good things to say about Jenkins after her announcement.
Stevenson said, “I am very proud of her for being the first black trans woman ever elected. I think very highly of her 38 Thrive plan, and she has done excellent work recently on arts promotion through the city. I plan on implementing a lot of what went into the 38 Thrive plan and continuing to build on the arts support.”
“I am deeply proud to celebrate Andrea Jenkins for her groundbreaking service to Minneapolis as the city’s first transgender council member and former council president,” said Bassais. “I want to honor her remarkable achievements, including her advocacy for cultural districts and her pivotal efforts in declaring racism a public health crisis. I am fully committed to carrying forward her legacy of pragmatic, community-first leadership, ensuring that every resident has a voice.”

SEEKING DFL ENDORSEMENT
Bassais and Stevenson are both seeking the Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) party endorsement that will be determined at the ward 8 convention on Sunday, May 4.
Prior to that, the DFL party will hold precinct caucuses on April 8 to select delegates to attend their ward conventions. A DFL city convention will be held on July 19 and 20 to consider endorsements for mayor, park board, and BET.
Bassais, a past DFL party precinct chair, said, “I do intend on continuing my campaign if not endorsed even though as a lifelong member of the DFL that would be a very hard decision.”
Stevenson was endorsed by the DFL when he ran for council in 2023 and lost the November election to Jenkins by 38 votes. “My neighbors have said clearly that they are looking for a change to the status quo in our city,” he said. “I feel I have a strong chance at winning the DFL endorsement, but if I don’t, I will continue to push for that change through November.”
They also both appreciate living in the Lyndale neighborhood.
Stevenson especially likes “living on the Blaisdell protected bike path and seeing a beautiful cross-section of the neighborhood use it. I regularly see families with kids, people using mobility devices, commuters, and my friends pass by,” he said.
“I love that my family and I can walk to some of the best restaurants in our city, including, Ramen Kazama, Hola Arepa, and Sonny’s for a treat,” said Bassais.

Experience
Stevenson moved to Minneapolis when he attended the University of Minnesota before graduating from the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota with his master's degree in 2020. During the protesting after the death of George Floyd, he was shot in the face by a police officer with a so-called “rubber” bullet and suffered injuries that included the loss of his left eye. Since then, he has worked for a nonprofit that forms housing cooperatives and volunteered with the Minnesota Justice Coalition and Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence. He currently works for Agate Housing, which runs homeless shelters.
When asked about an experience that most qualified him for the council job, Stevenson narrowed it down to his work as a unionized homeless outreach worker. “I see every day the inner workings of the crisis on our streets, and I’m ready to bring that insight into city hall to reverse the trend of a growing homeless population, chaotic placement and eviction of encampments, and the worsening quality of life for people both in and out of homes as a result,” he said.
Bassais, identified his collective bargaining experience working for labor unions as something that helps qualify him to be a council member.
He grew up in Minneapolis with his mother, attending Lyndale, Anwatin and Southwest schools, and said his “activism began at a young age, influenced by the anti-racist punk rock movement and my involvement in labor rights, leading to roles such as a union organizer and a precinct chair with the local DFL party.”
After attending St. Cloud State University, Bassais joined a Minnesota hospitality union, UNITE HERE Local 17, and later became a business agent and labor negotiator for them. He worked as a union organizer with LIUNA, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, from 2008-2014. Since then he has worked in marketing. “With over a decade of experience in labor unions and substantial time spent in the corporate world, I have developed a unique combination of grassroots activism and professional effectiveness,” said Bassais.
Bassais has also has volunteer experience coaching youth sports and serving as a board member and president for the Lyndale Neighborhood Association.

Priorities
“I am running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 8, driven by a vision for a safer, more equitable city with improved public safety, housing, and economic opportunities, while standing in solidarity with marginalized communities,” said Bassais. He lists six priorities on his website: clean and safe streets for all residents, tackling drug and behavioral health crises effectively, building sufficient housing to address affordability challenges, revitalizing Nicollet and Chicago Avenues to support small businesses, developing a thriving economic future, and enhancing the quality of life for everyone.
Stevenson lists his priorities under 13 general categories: public safety, police accountability, housing for all, healthy planet and healthy people, environmental justice, infrastructure, transportation, constituent services and community engagement, George Floyd square, equity and inclusion, neighborhood organizations and community building, good governance, supporting unions and good paying jobs and public schools.
Both candidates make the case that they will be responsive leaders focused on the values and needs of their constituents.
“We need a city that works together, embracing collaborative planning, decision-making, and action to overcome shared challenges,” said Bassais. “I am committed to providing leadership rooted in genuine public service, always putting the needs of the people of Ward 8 first. I believe that to address these issues, we need clear communication, mutual respect, and a readiness to find common ground.”
Stevenson has addressed where he lands along the occasionally evident political divide in city government with the mayor sometimes at odds with some members of the council.
“I am running for city council in Ward 8 in 2025 because, while the kinder, safer Minneapolis we deserve is still possible, our current city leadership is failing to realize the potential of this city,” he said. “The progressive majority on the city council has begun to make strides toward transformational change, but they encounter obstacles from the mayor and other council members at every turn.”
Stevenson is endorsed by several local elected office holders including Hennepin County Commissioners Angela Conley and Irene Fernando, school board member Greta Callahan, BET member Samantha Pree-Stinson, State Senator Omar Fateh, and city council members Jeremiah Ellison and Robin Wonsley.
Both candidates expect to have more endorsements from individuals and organizations in the near future.

Decision-making
A city council member is expected to make hundreds of decisions every month, some with significant and long-term consequences.
“I have honed my decision-making skills over more than 25 years of professional experience, particularly in roles involving contract negotiation, budget management, and stakeholder collaboration,” said Bassais. “For instance, I successfully led a team working with a multi-million dollar contract, which required balancing diverse stakeholder interests and making strategic choices to achieve the best outcome. My ability to assess complex situations, weigh potential risks and benefits, and make informed decisions has consistently resulted in positive outcomes and strengthened relationships.”
“I am a patient processor,” said Stevenson. “I like to hear people out, and then sit with the ideas for a time before making a decision. This has been extremely valuable for me because experience has shown that your initial thought is not usually your best thought. This also allows me to hear more people and perspectives before jumping to conclusions. So much of our society doesn’t value taking a second to think something through before talking, but I think it is one of my greatest strengths. I will bring this approach to city hall so that I can hear out the many different constituencies in Ward 8 and make the decision that best represents my communities.”

To reach the candidates
Bassais is available to meet people at Hosmer Library, Room 102 every 3rd Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. and every third Saturday from 9-10 a.m. He can be reached at joshbforward8@gmail.com. His website is www.joshbforward8.org. 
To reach Stevenson, people are invited to go through the website sorenstevenson.org and sign up, or email him at sorenwithward8@gmail.com.