Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten

Clare Oumou Verbeten is a Democratic-Farmer-Labor ** state senator representing **District 66 in Minnesota, which includes Ramsey County. She is 66 years old and currently serves as Assistant Majority Leader in the Minnesota Senate.

Verbeten is the daughter of a Senegalese immigrant and a second-generation Dutch American. She made history as one of the first Black women to serve in the Minnesota Senate, alongside Erin Maye Quade and Zaynab Mohamed. She and Quade are also the first openly LGBTQ women to serve in the Minnesota Senate.

Education

Verbeten graduated from Roseville Area High School in 2013 and earned a Bachelor's degree in Law and Society from American University in Washington, D.C., in 2015.

Political Experience

Verbeten was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2022 and began her first term in 2023. Prior to her election, she served as Deputy Political Director for Tim Walz's 2018 gubernatorial campaign.

In the Minnesota Senate, Verbeten holds several key committee positions, including Vice Chair of Judiciary and Public Safety. She also serves on the committees for Education Finance, Higher Education, and Labor. As a state senator and Assistant Majority Leader, she has focused on racial justice and human dignity as central priorities in her legislative work.