Karla Bigham
float:right; border:1px solid #FFB81F; background-color: white; width: 250px; font-size: .9em; margin-bottom:0px;
} .infobox p { margin-bottom: 0; } .widget-row { display: inline-block; width: 100%; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .widget-row.heading { font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row.value-only { text-align: center; background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.value-only.white { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .widget-row.value-only.black { background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; } .widget-row.Democratic { background-color: #003388; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Republican { background-color: red; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Libertarian { background-color: #f9d334; color: black; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Green { background-color: green; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-key { width: 43%; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; } .widget-value { width: 57%; float: right; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; word-wrap: break-word; } .widget-img { width: 150px; display: block; margin: auto; } .clearfix { clear: both; }
Karla Bigham (Democratic Party) was a member of the Minnesota State Senate, representing District 54. She assumed office on February 20, 2018. She left office on January 3, 2023.
Bigham (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Minnesota State Senate to represent District 54. She won in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Bigham was previously a Democratic-Farmer Labor member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. She represented District 57A from 2007 to 2011.
Biography
Bigham previously worked as an assistant/researcher for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus, a paralegal in the Property Crimes Division of the Hennepin County attorney's office, and a union organizer.[1]
Committee assignments
2021-2022
Bigham was assigned to the following committees:
- Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee, Ranking Minority Member
- Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee
- Local Government Policy Committee
color: #337ab7, }
2019-2020
Bigham was assigned to the following committees:
- Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee
- Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee
- Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee
color: #337ab7, }
Prior to leaving the house, she served on the following committees:
- Public Safety Policy and Oversight (Vice Chair)
- Environment Policy and Oversight
- Public Safety Finance Division
- State Government Finance Division
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
- See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2022
Karla Bigham did not file to run for re-election.
2020
See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Minnesota State Senate District 54
Incumbent Karla Bigham defeated Leilani Holmstadt in the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 54 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Karla Bigham (D) | 52.9 | 25,530 |
 | Leilani Holmstadt (R) | 47.0 | 22,712 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 60 | ||
| Total votes: 48,302 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Karla Bigham advanced from the Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 54.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Leilani Holmstadt advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 54.
Campaign finance
2018
A special election for the position of Minnesota State Senate District 54 was called for February 12, 2018. A special primary election was called for January 29, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2018.[2]
The seat became vacant on December 15, 2017, following the resignation of Dan Schoen (D). On November 21, 2017, Schoen announced that he would resign from office due to sexual misconduct allegations levied against him by state Rep. Erin Maye Quade (D), former Democratic state House candidate Lindsey Port, and a Minnesota state Senate staffer.[3]
Denny McNamara (R) defeated James Brunsgaard III (R) in the primary election. McNamara faced off against Karla Bigham (DFL) and Emily Mellingen (L) in the general election.[4][5]
Bigham defeated McNamara and Mellingen in the general election, receiving 50.7 percent of the vote to McNamara's 47.1 percent and Mellingen's 2.2 percent.
General election
Special general election for Minnesota State Senate District 54
Incumbent Karla Bigham defeated Denny McNamara and Emily Mellingen in the special general election for Minnesota State Senate District 54 on February 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karla Bigham (D) | 50.7 | 7,343 |
 | Denny McNamara (R) | 47.1 | 6,813 | |
 | Emily Mellingen (L) | 2.2 | 313 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 7 | ||
| Total votes: 14,476 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 54
Incumbent Karla Bigham advanced from the special Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 54 on January 29, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Karla Bigham | 100.0 | 449 |
| Total votes: 449 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 54
Denny McNamara defeated James Brunsgaard III in the special Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 54 on January 29, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Denny McNamara | 84.9 | 1,324 |
 | James Brunsgaard III | 15.1 | 236 | |
| Total votes: 1,560 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2010
Bigham chose not to run in the 2010 election.
2008
On November 4, 2008, Karla Bigham won election to the District 57A Seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, defeating Kurt Perkins. [6]
Karla Bigham raised $31,894 for her campaign.[7]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 57A (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Karla Bigham (DFL)
|
11,855 | 58.47% | ||
| Kurt Perkins (R) | 8,391 | 41.39% | ||
| Write-In | 28 | 0.14% | ||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Karla Bigham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Minnesota scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].
2022
In 2022, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 31 to May 23.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor issues.
- Legislators are scored on their support for the organization's principles, which it defines as "provid[ing] a basis for a constitutionally limited government established to sustain life, liberty, justice, property rights and free enterprise."
- Legislators are scored on their votes on labor issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2021, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 5 to May 17.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2020, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 11 to May 17. Special sessions were convened: June 12 to June 19; July 13 to July 21; August 12; September 11; October 12 to October 15; and November 12.
|
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2019, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 8 through May 20.
|
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2018, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 20 through May 21.
|
See also
2020 Elections
External links
.contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
.contact_office { margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
.external_links_table { width: auto !important; }
@media (max-width:600px) {
.contact_entity {font-size: 1.0em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;}
.contact_office { font-size: 0.8 em; margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;}
}
|
Candidate Minnesota State Senate District 54 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Bigham
- ↑ StarTribune, "Special elections set to replace departed Minnesota lawmakers accused of sexual harassment," accessed December 5, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Two Minnesota state lawmakers to resign after sexual misconduct allegations," November 22, 2017
- ↑ Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Senate District 54 and House District 23B Special Elections," accessed January 11, 2018
- ↑ Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Unofficial Results Monday, January 29, 2018," accessed January 29, 2018
- ↑ 2008 General Election Results
- ↑ Follow the Money's report on Bigham's 2008 campaign contributions
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Minnesota State Senate District 54 2018-2023 |
Succeeded by Eric Pratt (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A |
Succeeded by - |
