Yolandita Colon
Yolandita Colon was a 2014 Independence Party candidate for District 62A of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Campaign themes
2014
Colon's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
| “ | Education and Vocational Skills Training
Children begin life with hope and big dreams. No matter a child’s background, he or she should have equal access to educational opportunities in order to help them achieve those dreams. Some of our neighborhood’s schools are succeeding, but some are failing and our kids are paying the price. All children deserve the best of what we have to offer. I will partner with parents to hold schools accountable to ensure that every student at every educational level has access to an excellent education, volunteer tutoring programs, extracurricular programming and vocational skills training. I will encourage outstanding teachers to share their proven methods in order to raise the level of learning across the board. Economic Opportunity & Growth for Small Businesses My passion is to help create economic opportunities for all Minnesota families so that they can earn an income that allows them to live with dignity. To achieve this dream, we must encourage entrepreneurs and support small business owners who can create more jobs and stimulate economic growth. We need to train our future qualified workforce to create real opportunities so that each community is economically sustainable and not dependent upon the exploitation of human beings. Meaningful Immigration Reform and Integration We are a nation of immigrants. Fixing our nation's broken immigration laws is among the most important issues we are facing here in Minnesota and America. Immigrants bring value to our cities and metropolitan regions and play a vital role in creating economically vibrant, competitive cities. Sadly, we have failed to recognize these valuable contributions, such as how immigrants bring a dynamic labor force, spur on economic growth and enrich our culture. Minnesota needs to continue to cultivate initiatives to attract and welcome immigrants and encourage existing immigrants. We need creative solutions such as adopting an immigration integration task force from across various sectors of the community so all people can participate in important integration efforts. Together we can remove barriers that keep immigrants from fully investing themselves in our communities. As a Latina who overcame my own struggles and barriers in this country, I can relate to the issues new Americans face and I am therefore uniquely positioned to accomplish these goals. Improved Housing for All Homes are a haven where individuals and families are nurtured and can flourish. When they are dilapidated or abandoned, however, they not only decrease property values for the whole neighborhood, they also create unhealthy living environments and become magnets for crime. Our neighborhoods should have excellent housing options in clean and safe areas for people of every income level. Through strategic partnerships between private companies, nonprofits and public entities we can achieve the goal of dignified housing for all. Together we will bring the best practices of successful housing programs from around our nation to bring solutions to our great city. I will work hard to bring innovative and creative ideas that will effectively revitalize our neighborhoods. Community-Based Crime Prevention Communities thrive when citizens live and work in safe and secure neighborhoods. We have a duty to address the causes and consequences of violence in our communities. Essential elements of a healthy community include adequate police and fire protections, partnerships with law enforcement that breed mutual respect, strong neighborhood awareness, block clubs, and crime prevention workshops. Support for and development of various programs that provide positive alternatives for at-risk youth in our neighborhoods are also key. The community should actively seek to aid all those affected by violence and to work together to make the necessary changes in the conditions leading to violence. Human Rights and Social Justice When we understand that injustice for some affects the entire neighborhood, we will make it a priority to ensure that all people are free from exploitation and coercion. Right here in Minnesota and in our own neighborhood, at-risk youth are recruited into gangs and prostitution. Human sex trafficking and drug smuggling is a serious problem. Immigrants and low income people suffer inequity and exploitation in various forms. We will work together to eliminate the causes of injustice in our neighborhoods and state. By partnering with you, we will implement preventative programming to create an environment where every individual is safe. Freedom of Speech and Exchange of Ideas The diversity of ideas and the right to share those ideas freely is essential to maintaining our American democracy. When respectful dialogue is stifled and intolerance takes over, we not only jeopardize our individual liberties, we limit our ability to achieve true progress for all. We will work together to ensure that every person’s voice is welcomed in the public square and that thoughtful, respectful dialogue on issues should always be encouraged.[1][2] |
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Elections
2014
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 12, 2014, and a general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014. Incumbent Karen Clark was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Bruce Lundeen was unopposed in the Republican primary. Yolandita Colon ran as an Independence candidate. Clark defeated both Lundeen and Colon in the general election.[3][4][5]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Karen Clark Incumbent |
82.1% | 6,632 | |
| Independence | Yolandita Colon | 9.6% | 773 | |
| Republican | Bruce Lundeen | 8% | 650 | |
| Write-in | Write-in | 0.2% | 20 | |
| Total Votes | 8,075 | |||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Yolandita + Colon + Minnesota + House"
See also
- Minnesota House of Representatives
- Minnesota House of Representatives District 62A
- Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2014
- Minnesota State Legislature
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Committee to Elect Yolandita Colon, "Issues," accessed October 23, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2014 Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "State Canvassing Board Report," August 19, 2014
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2014 State General Election Candidate Filings," accessed July 25, 2014
