Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

The Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party elects its Chair, Associate Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Affirmative Action Officer at its Business Conference every two years. The Finance Chair is appointed by the State Party Chair and confirmed by the State Central Committee. The state party officers also include Minnesota's Democratic National Committee members and sixteen directors who are elected at the state conventions.

State Party Chair

Brian Melendez
Email: chair@dfl.org

Brian Melendez was elected as State Chair of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party on May 21, 2005. Melendez has been active in politics for almost two decades. Before his election, Melendez chaired both the Minneapolis DFL Party (1999–2005) and DFL Congressional District 5 (2004–05).

Melendez earned his bachelor’s degree with honors from Harvard College in 1986, writing his senior honors thesis on “Presidential Disability and Succession”; his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1991, writing on “Districting a Diverse Society”; and a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School in 1991, concentrating in ethics.

Melendez lives in Minneapolis and is a partner at the law firm Faegre & Benson LLP, the second-largest law firm in the Upper Midwest. He was named by Minnesota Lawyer magazine in 2002 as one of the Top Ten Attorneys of the Year.

State Party Associate Chair

Donna Cassutt
Email: associatechair@dfl.org

State Party Secretary

Susan Rego
Email: secretary@dfl.org

State Party Treasurer

Lori Sellner
Email: treasurer@dfl.org

State Party Affirmative Action Officer

Frank Brown
Email: aao@dfl.org

State Party Finance Chair

Adam Duininck
Email: aduininck@local49.org

State Party Directors

Nimco Ahmed (nahmedster@gmail.com)
Mary Merril-Anderson (marymerrillanderson@msn.com)
Ann Friedrich (annfriedrich@msn.com)
Jeanette Martimo (jeanettemartimo@yahoo.com)
Cheryl Poling (chpoling@comcast.net)
Shivanthi Sathanandan (alhaja7@yahoo.com)
Katherine Speer (kcspeer@embarqmail.com)
Vicki Wright (vickiwright@comcast.net)
Wes Gadsden (wes_gadsden@yahoo.com)
Del Jenkins (deldjenkins@yahoo.com)
Eric Margolis (Eric_Margolis@hotmail.com)
Dan McConnell (danm@ibew292.org)
Thom Petersen (petersenthom@hotmail.com)
Mike Rothman (rothman.mj@gmail.com)
Timothy Velde (tcvfarm@yahoo.com)
Jeremy Powers (jpowers@prhelp.net)

Democratic National Committee Members

Rick Stafford (rickatmpls@msn.com)
Bill Davis (billdavisdfl@msn.com)
Luchelle Stevens (evenstevens5@aol.com)
Nancy Larson (nanlars@embarqmail.com)
Patricia Torres Ray (info@patriciaforsenate.org)

Minnesota Young DFL President

Arron Olson (arronolson@gmail.com)

First Congressional District

Chair - Lori Sellner (lorisell@gmail.com)
Associate Chair - Jim Hepworth (dflers@gmail.com)
Secretary - Crysta Parkin (crysta.parkin@gmail.com)
Treasurer - Katherine Speer (kcspeer@embarqmail.com)
Affirmative Action Officer - Phil Castrovinci (philcastro44@yahoo.com)

Second Congressional District

Chair - Jeanne Thomas (cjtdfl@aol.com)
Associate Chair - Shawn Groth (ssng12@hotmail.com)
Secretary - Jane Miles (jane.miles@lsi.com)
Treasurer - Nancy Parris (pnparris@yahoo.com)
Affirmative Action Officer - Lucy Buckner-Watson (lucysnts@aol.com)

Third Congressional District

Chair - Marge Hoffa (travalfie@aol.com)
Associate Chair - George Greene (unclegeo@myaurora.org)
Secretary - Matt Black (mfblack@gmail.com)
Treasurer - Jerry Gilkeson (MNdemocrat@comcast.net)
Affirmative Action Officer - Sunday Alabi (Sunday.alabi@allina.com)

Fourth Congressional District

Chair - J.P. Barone (var630@aol.com)
Associate Chair - Melissa Jamrock (mjamrock@gmail.com)
Secretary - Christina Hughes (leobabe73@comcast.net)
Treasurer - Mark Bannick (mark_bannick@yahoo.com)
Affirmative Action Officer - Ramona Zamora (rzamora@fredlaw.com)

Fifth Congressional District

Chair - Heidi Quezada (hpquezada@gmail.com)
Associate Chair - Jules Goldstein (goldstein.jules@gmail.com)
Secretary - Vanessa Blomgren (blomgren.v@gmail.com)
Treasurer - Tom Hamilton (baldeagl8@comcast.net)
Affirmative Action Officer - Eric Margolis (Eric_Margolis@hotmail.com)

Sixth Congressional District

Chair - Bill Usher (billsueusher@msn.com)
Associate Chair - Cathy Harrison (charrison1026@q.com)
Secretary - Dawn Haas (dmhaas@hotmail.com)
Treasurer - Lisa O'Neill (letterrunner@comcast.net)
Affirmative Action Officer - Dale Ziner (norad820@aol.com)

Seventh Congressional District

Chair - Paul Wright (paulw@hutchtel.net)
Associate Chair - Allison Myhre (ajmyhre@prtel.com)
Secretary - Ione Yates (ivyione@yahoo.com)
Treasurer - Lil Ortendahl (QSPWFC@hotmail.com)
Affirmative Action Officer - Aaron Wittnebel (lakepark81@gmail.com)

Eight Congressional District

Chair - Don Bye (byehdq@tds.net, byelawoffice@hotmail.com)
Associate Chair - Colleen Nardone (cbn0609@yahoo.com)
Secretary - Jeanette Martimo (jeanettemartimo@yahoo.com)
Treasurer - Cathy Daniels (cthelen@rangenet.com)
Affirmative Action Officer - Elizabeth Scott (Elizabeth.scott@millelacsband.com)

Elected Officials

Sen. Linda Higgins (lhiggins@nmpls.com)
Rep. Lyndon Carlson (lyndoncarlson@comcast.net)
Sen. Mary Olson (maolson@paulbunyan.net)