Liish Kozlowski

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Kozlowski is the child of a Mexican union electrician father and a Grand Portage/Fond du Lac Band Ojibwe mother.^[2][4] They were raised by their grandmother and adopted in adulthood by a native family.^[5] Their adoptive father, Ray "Skip" Sandman, was an Anishinaabe spiritual leader and ran twice for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.^[6][5]

Kozlowski is a first-generation college graduate, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2009 and a Master of Business Administration from the College of St. Scholastica in 2017.^[2][7][4]

From 2019 to 2021, Kozlowski worked as a community relations officer for the City of Duluth under Mayor Emily Larson, where they helped create a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People Reward Fund, the first in Minnesota.^[2][8][9]

Kozlowski was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2022. They first ran after four-term DFL incumbent Jennifer Schultz announced they would not seek reelection and would run for the 8th Congressional District.^[2] Kozlowski defeated Duluth City Council president Arik Forsman in the DFL primary.^[10] When they took office, Kozlowski became the first openly trans non-binary member of the Minnesota Legislature and the second two-spirit member after Susan Allen, in addition to the first Mexican, Ojibwe, and trans non-binary or two-spirit person to represent Duluth.^[11][12]

Kozlowski serves on the Capital Investment and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committees and is co-vice chair of the Housing Finance and Policy and Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committees.^[2] They co-chair the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and are a member of the legislature's first Queer Caucus, made up of LGBTQ+ members.^[13]

Kozlowski was highlighted as part of Minnesota Public Radio's 2023 "Changemakers" series, which showcases Minnesotans from diverse backgrounds making an impact in the state.^[5]

Political positions

Kozlowski campaigned on increasing support for working families through universal childcare and fully-funded education, protecting the environment through "prove it first" mining permit legislation, and affordable healthcare for all.^[4]

Kozlowski is pro-choice and supports increasing abortion access for people of color, gender-expansive people, and immigrants.^[14] They have spoken out in favor of legislation making Minnesota a "trans refuge state" for those seeking gender-affirming care and have pushed for creating inclusive schools and increasing housing access for disadvantaged communities.^[15] Kozlowski authored a law adding gender-neutral bathrooms in Minnesota schools in 2023.^[5] They also authored a bill to ban nonessential cosmetic procedures on intersex children under 12, which did not make it to a vote.^[16]

Kozlowski championed efforts to increase funding for the state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. Native American women, girls, and Two Spirit relatives are only 1% of Minnesota's population but made up 8% of all murdered women, girls, and Two Spirit people from 2010 through 2018.^[17]

Kozlowski lives in Duluth, Minnesota.^[2] Their Ojibwe name is Ozaawaa Anakwad ("Yellow Cloud") and they identify as trans, non-binary, and two-spirit.^[2][5]