Representative Jess Hanson

Jess Hanson is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party ** serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives representing **District 55A, which includes the cities of Burnsville and Savage and parts of Dakota and Scott Counties in the southern Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Born September 13, 1986, Hanson was born and raised in Minnesota. As a solo mother, she purchased a home in the district and enrolled in college while raising two young children, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from college.

Hanson identifies as LGBTQ+ and has two children. Before entering politics, she worked as a dental network representative for Anthem beginning in 2007. She also led the Minnesota Campaign for Full Legalization, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on marijuana legalization.

Education

Hanson earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from St. Catherine University in 2018 and a Master of Arts in Advocacy and Political Leadership from Metropolitan State University. She currently works as an adjunct professor.

Political Experience

Hanson was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2020, representing District 56A after incumbent Hunter Cantrell announced his retirement. Following redistricting, she has been reelected twice, winning District 55A by 6.1 percentage points in 2022 and 6.8 percentage points in 2024. She is currently serving her third term.

As a legislator, Hanson authored "Travis's Law," which requires 911 operators to refer calls involving serious mental health episodes to mental health teams trained in deescalation. Named after Travis Jordan, a man considering suicide who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police in 2018, the bill passed with bipartisan support and was signed by Governor Tim Walz.

Hanson serves as Co-Vice Chair of the House Committee on Children and Families Finance and Policy and holds positions on the Commerce Finance and Policy and Higher Education Finance and Policy committees.