A Somali refugee is taking his second shot as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) candidate for Minnesota's state legislature. The seat is in St. Cloud, MN, a college town in semi-rural Minnesota (it is a regional center with a state university), and Abdi Daisane is a model citizen whom every liberal organization in the state has been grooming for great things.
The University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute for Politics celebrates him on its website as a Humphrey Fellow (as was I, lo those many years ago), noting:
Abdi Daisane is a childcare executive with more than seven years of experience. Currently consulting for Initiative Foundation, he provides expert training and technical assistance to start-ups and small businesses. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Abdi worked in diverse nonprofit organizations serving youth and families in Minnesota. Additionally, he supports local governmental and non-profit initiatives, amplifying their community impact and mission. Abdi holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s in public administration from St. Cloud State University. His leadership has earned recognition, including 5-Under-40 Award and Minnesota’s Young American Leaders. He is a father to a 5-year-old son.
A childcare entrepreneur. Worked for "diverse NGOs," deeply involved in refugee resettlement. A Somali refugee himself. What's not to love?!
Abdi Daisane won his primary for Minnesota House
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 13, 2026
Abdi operates a daycare with a long list of violations
His wife brags about coming here illegally during the Biden admin
Minnesota is lost pic.twitter.com/szgvsK2l2P
Abdi is very entrepreneurial, doing consulting for lefty organizations in addition to running a Somali daycare that gets investigated and cited by the Department of Human Services for regularly failing its inspections. At least there were inspections!
Licensed for up to 113 children! I wonder how many are real.
Apparently, even with a Master's in Public Administration, Dasani has trouble reading the rules and regulations of running a daycare, which is common in Somali daycares in Minnesota. Keeping things clean is a major problem, as is investigating the backgrounds of his employees. Age-appropriate care is lacking, and so is supervision of infants and toddlers, who really can take care of themselves.
As you can see, violations of the law are a regular occurrence in his childcare, but that apparently is no problem, even when the same violations recur.
I can see the case for making him a state legislator. Even though he is a Democrat, he clearly understands how government overregulates small businesses like his, and, as a consultant to other Somalis on how to get in on scams in Minnesota, he teaches them how to work the system.
Do I sound cynical? After all, I cannot be CERTAIN that Abdi here is in on government scams. There are no current prosecutions as far as I know, so perhaps it is unfair to paint with such a broad brush.
But then again, not voting to put yet another Somali in the state legislature is not depriving him of his Constitutional rights, so what do I care?
Somalis are a political force in Minnesota, holding a congressional seat, multiple state legislative seats, mayoral positions, city council seats, and even school board seats. And they sure know government and how to navigate the system!
As for the accusation that his wife crossed the border illegally, I can't find any definitive evidence either way or the other. As you know, the Biden administration routinely categorized "irregular" migrants as legal refugees, so it's hard to say.
Whatever the truth, Daisane is a model citizen in Minnesota. So much so that the DFL endorsed him with 92 percent of the delegate votes.
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