David Rosenfeld
Age: 55
Bio: David Rosenfeld grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where his parents were active in the civil rights movement. While in high school, he was impacted by traveling to revolutionary Cuba. He joined the Socialist Workers Party soon after returning to the U.S. As a young unionist, Rosenfeld was involved in the 1985-86 P-9 meatpacker strike in Austin, Minnesota.
Education: Cass Technical High School, Detroit, Michigan.
Work experience: Rosenfeld is a steelworker. He has also worked a variety of industrial jobs, including as a meatpacker, rubber worker, factory assembly worker, and a Walmart stocker.
Political and public experience: Chairperson of the Socialist Workers Party in Minnesota; SWP candidate for governor of Iowa in 2010. In the past year, Rosenfeld says he has "joined socialist campaigning teams speaking to workers across Minnesota; walked the picket lines with striking nurses; been part of protests demanding prosecution of the cop who killed Philando Castile; joined actions defending Planned Parenthood and a woman’s right to abortion; publicly called for amnesty for immigrants; and spoken out against anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish attacks."
Main issues: "Amnesty for all immigrants, the end of the economic embargo against Cuba, expropriation of drug companies, prosecuting and jailing cops guilty of killing and abuse, a massive public works program to employ millions of workers at union-scale wages, and the organization and unionization of workers." Rosenfeld advocates for workers leaving the DFL and Republican parties to advance working-class political action.
Party: Socialist Workers Party
Why he is running: "To advance the building of a leadership that will educate and organize the working class in order to establish a workers and farmers government, which will abolish capitalism in the United States and join in the worldwide struggle for socialism."
What you might not know about him: Rosenfeld joined a fact-finding and solidarity trip to Cuba in October of 2017, nearly 40 years after a visit to Cuba as a high school student. He says it was during that first trip that he was inspired to emulate the Cuban revolution in the United States.
Note: Responses were submitted directly by the candidates and may have been edited for clarity.
Candidate provided responses via email.
