As a daughter of the post World War II marriage and baby boom, I grew up with inspiration and hope for me, my family, my community and my country.

My inspiration came from my mother, who went to college at Macalester when many women of her generation didn’t get that opportunity; my father, who served as a social worker in Ramsey County; the hard working men and women in the stores, factories and warehouses on the East Side of St. Paul where I grew up; teachers who motivated; church youth group leaders who cared; resilient women leaders who sacrificed; dedicated co-workers, and brave cops.

These people gave me something that I will never give up—hope.

As the Ramsey County Attorney I work hard to keep our communities safe.  I do that by being tough and decisive, because when a crime is committed, there must be consequences.  No matter how heinous the act, however, or discouraging our crime problem, I don’t give up.  Consequences are only part of the solution: hope is the other part.  Hope is developing programs to keep kids in school and off the streets; hope is making sure children’s health and basic necessities are provided for; and hope is providing opportunity for meaningful jobs for the next generation.

That’s how I have approached my work in law enforcement, and it’s how I will approach my work if I go on to become Governor of Minnesota.

As your Governor I will lead with integrity, make tough decisions, and give hope to our children and grandchildren that we, Minnesota’s most populous and  prosperous generation, will leave to them a state that through our sacrifice and leadership is not just good enough—but great.

Susan Gaertner