Interview: Soren Stevenson Ward 8 City Council candidate

How to Cook Fish

A question we often pose during political conversations is this:

If you met someone who was an excellent cook and they gave you their favorite fish recipe—but they held different political views from your own—would you still cook the fish?

We like this question because it highlights the deep distrust many of us feel toward those in a different political camp. The recipe is the recipe. Whether the person sharing it is a Republican, Green, DFL, Independent, or a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) shouldn’t matter—but it often does. Once we learn that someone belongs to another camp, everything they do becomes suspect.

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you know that we often express a point of view. We hope that even if you disagree with us, you keep reading. It’s easy to dismiss someone simply because they hold opinions we oppose. We ignore similarities and shared values, choosing instead to focus on our differences. But this tendency does not serve us well. At the city level, it leads to dysfunction.

To achieve good governance, leaders must be willing to listen to each other—especially when they disagree. George Floyd Square is a prime example of what happens when leaders stop listening. The city now faces multiple lawsuits, including one seeking $30 million in damages from eight businesses over the city’s handling of the intersection. After five years, the fate of the square remains uncertain.

For this newsletter, we’ll interview both people and groups we support and those we don’t. Our goal is to be respectful, to listen, and to learn—regardless of their positions. We recognize that others may have different experiences from our own. And we hope readers will call us out if we stop being curious and become too comfortable in the warm embrace of our own opinions.

If we refuse to try the fish simply because the person sharing the recipe favors a different candidate or viewpoint, then this newsletter—and our lives—will be less rich.

Interview Summary:

Soren Stevenson is running for office because of personal and professional experiences that shaped his commitment to public service. In 2020, he was shot by a Minneapolis police officer during a protest, resulting in the loss of his left eye and most of his sense of smell. This event motivated him to advocate for police accountability and social justice. His professional background includes working in housing policy and street outreach for homeless individuals.

His campaign prioritizes three key issues:

* Housing and Homelessness – He believes the current system is failing and advocates for increased housing availability and better support for those experiencing homelessness. He supports reducing regulatory barriers to housing development and improving rental protections. According to Stevenson, the root causes of homelessness are affordable housing and trauma in our communities for which there are inadequate services.

* Public Safety – He envisions a comprehensive public safety system that includes policing, behavioral crisis response, housing, safety ambassadors and social services. He believes safety should be community-centered, ensuring all residents feel secure. The right person with the right training needs to be sent to the situation.

* Climate and Livability/Quality of Life – He sees climate action as integral to improving residents' quality of life, advocating for greener policies, public transportation, and energy-efficient housing. Climate change is an impending threat to us all. The cars we drive are adding to the problem. He wants to improve the walkability of the city. Here is a link to the city’s Climate Action Plan.

Stevenson supports recent city council efforts like the Uber and Lyft wage bill but criticizes Mayor Jacob Frey’s leadership, citing failures in public safety, police accountability, and tax policy. He expresses optimism about alternative mayoral candidates. He also highlights the need for improved coordination between the city and agencies like Metro Transit and the Park Board. He wants to see the city increase its tax base to slow the rate of change in the taxes residents are experiencing. He believes unions are important and that the Labor Standards Board was going to be toothless and was a little baffled by the resistance to it.

There are ways he could work with Frey, including working with him to make a robust downtown to increase the tax base, but does not think Frey deserves a third term. He feels like more dialogue between the council and mayor would have prevented many of the vetoes that occurred.

On a personal note, he enjoys outdoor activities like backpacking, canoeing in the boundary waters, camping and having his phone off.

He is excited to get to work. Endorsements include Hennepin County Commissioners Angela Conley (District 4) and Irene Fernando (District 2).