# Clare Oumou Verbeten *American politician; member of the [[Minnesota Senate]] for the 66th district since 2023* Clare Oumou Verbeten has held the 66th district seat in the [[Minnesota Senate]] since 2023.[^1] She won the seat in the 2022 election.[^3] Before that, she held staff posts with the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]]. She was deputy political director of [[Tim Walz]]'s 2017–2018 campaign for governor. From 2019 to 2022, she was an equity and inclusion program manager for the city of [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]].[^2] In the 93rd [[Minnesota Legislature]], several bills she sponsored and supported became law. They included a ban on no-knock warrants, free telephone calls from prisons, and a five-year cap on probation. In March 2024 she was elected an Assistant Majority Leader.[^3] ## Early life and education Oumou Verbeten is a native of [[Minnesota]] and was raised in Roseville. Her mother came from Senegal.[^4] In 2016 she received a Bachelor of Arts in law and society from American University.[^4] ## Career During college she held internships with the Minnesota DFL, the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project, Women Winning, and the Democratic National Committee.[^2] In 2016 she rejoined the state DFL, this time as its deputy party affairs director.[^2] In 2017 and 2018 she worked on Walz's campaign for governor as deputy political director.[^2] After the campaign ended, she worked as deputy political director for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters. She was also a community affairs specialist at Mortenson Construction.[^2] The city of Saint Paul employed her as an equity and inclusion program manager from 2019 through 2022.[^2] ### State Senate She was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2022.[^3] The bills she sponsored and supported that were enacted during the 93rd Legislature included:[^3] - a ban on no-knock warrants; - free telephone calls from prisons; - a five-year limit on probation. She was elected to the post of Assistant Majority Leader in March 2024.[^3] Her committee assignments are Education Finance, Higher Education, Judiciary and Public Safety, and Labor.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Clare Oumou Verbeten* (revision 1381598127, retrieved 2026-10-26) — lead section: member of the Minnesota Senate for the 66th district since 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Oumou_Verbeten [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Clare Oumou Verbeten* (revision 1381598127, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Career" section: college internships, 2016 DFL deputy party affairs director, 2017–2018 Walz campaign deputy political director, Carpenters council and Mortenson Construction posts, and the 2019–2022 Saint Paul equity and inclusion program manager post. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Oumou_Verbeten [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Clare Oumou Verbeten* (revision 1381598127, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Career" section: 2022 Senate election, bills enacted in the 93rd Legislature, election as Assistant Majority Leader in March 2024, and committee assignments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Oumou_Verbeten [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Clare Oumou Verbeten* (revision 1381598127, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Early life and education" section: born and raised in Minnesota, grew up in Roseville, mother from Senegal, 2016 BA in law and society from American University. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Oumou_Verbeten