State Sen. Bigham Aims To Reclaim Seat On Washington County Board

WASHINGTON COUNTY, MN — State Sen. Karla Bigham will not seek another term in the Minnesota legislature so she can try to reclaim a seat on the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

Bigham, DFL-Cottage Grove, tweeted her political intentions Saturday, saying she “enjoyed” her time in the Senate, but her “heart and soul is in service to South Washington County.”

“My passion for public service is motivated by working on issues that impact the communities I know best, including my hometown of Cottage Grove,” Bigham wrote.

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Bigham was a Washington County commissioner from 2015-2018 before leaving to serve in the Minnesota Senate. She worked as a state representative from 2007-2011 after serving on the Cottage Grove City Council.

She tweeted that she will “continue advocating for clean water, workforce development, mental health services, chemical health programs, and infrastructure that serves the needs of our growing communities” if elected to the Washington County Board of Commissioners in November.

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Bigham has served as the state senator for Minnesota’s 54th Senate District since February 2018, several months after former state Sen. Dan Schoen resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct.

She defeated Republican challenger Leilani Holmstadt by about six percentage points in the 2020 general election.

The 54th Senate District includes Cottage Grove, Hastings, Afton, St. Paul Park and parts of South St. Paul.

“It’s been an honor to serve in the state legislature, and I will work hard to earn voters’ trust to serve on the Washington County Board of Commissioners,” Bigham tweeted Saturday.

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The St. Paul Steamfitters/Pipefitters Local 455 tweeted that Bigham “is a true fighter for hard working Minnesotans” after she announced her candidacy for the Washington County board.

Bigham graduated in 1997 from Cottage Grove’s Park High School, run by the South Washington County Schools system. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Winona State University and a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota.

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