Susan Allen

{{about|the Minnesota politician|the harpist|Susan Allen (musician)|the engineer|Susan D. Allen|the African American suffragist and temperance activist|Susan E. Cannon Allen}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name=Susan Allen

| image= Susan Allen.jpg

| caption = Allen in 2014

| state_house= Minnesota

| district = 62B

| prior_term = 61B (2012–2013)

| term_start=January 19, 2012

| term_end=January 7, 2019

| preceded=Jeff Hayden

| succeeded=Aisha Gomez

| party=Democratic–Farmer–Labor

| birth_date= {{birth date and age|1963|3|27}}

| birth_place=Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation, Utah

| death_date=

| death_place=

| alma_mater={{unbulleted list | Augsburg College | University of New Mexico | William Mitchell College of Law}}

| profession=Attorney

| partner=Amber Gianera

| children=1

| residence=

|}}

Susan Allen (born March 27, 1963) is an American politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 62B, a southside district encompassing the Powderhorn and Bryant neighborhoods of Minneapolis.[http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/01/10/who-needs-new-hampshire-minneapolis-election-winners-susan-allen-and-kari-dziedzic Who needs New Hampshire? Minneapolis election winners: Susan Allen and Kari Dziedzic]{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/135143438.html|title=Kari Dziedzic wins DFL nod for Senate race|date=December 6, 2011|work=Star Tribune|quote=In the Powderhorn and Bryant neighborhoods, voters chose attorney Susan Allen for the DFL nomination.}} She was the first Native American woman to serve in the Minnesota Legislature and the first openly lesbian Native American to win election to a state legislature.{{cite news|url=http://politicsinminnesota.com/2011/11/susan-allen-wins-dfl-endorsement-for-haydens-house-seat/|title=Susan Allen wins DFL endorsement for Hayden's House seat|date=November 14, 2011|work=Politics in Minnesota}}{{cite web|url=http://susanallen61b.com/issues/|title=Susan Allen for Minnesota House District 61B: Issues|quote=I am a passionate supporter of marriage equality. As a lesbian, I feel this inequality every day.|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120714195443/http://susanallen61b.com/issues/|archivedate=2012-07-14}}[http://jezebel.com/5875521/ Kickass Openly Gay Native American Woman Elected to State Legislature] She did not seek re-election in 2018.

Early life, education, and career

The daughter of an Episcopal priest, Allen graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis in 1992. She later earned a J.D. from the University of New Mexico Law School (1995) and an LL.M. from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul (1999). She became a practicing attorney in 1997 and a partner of her law firm in 2004.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Allen was one of four openly gay members, alongside Representatives Karen Clark and Erin Maye Quade and Senator Scott Dibble, in the Minnesota Legislature.

=Elections=

When state representative Jeff Hayden was elected to the Minnesota Senate in October 2011, he vacated his seat in the House of Representatives. Allen was one of four DFLers to put themselves forward for the seat and, at the DFL nominating convention held on November 12, she received the party's endorsement on the third ballot.{{cite news|url=http://www.southsidepride.com/2011/12/articles/DFL_election.html|title=DFL Primary Election Tuesday, Dec. 6|work=Southside Pride|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415004738/http://www.southsidepride.com/2011/12/articles/DFL_election.html|archivedate=2012-04-15}} She nevertheless faced a primary election on December 6, facing three opponents, two of whom had suspended their campaigns after losing at the convention. Allen won the nomination handily, taking over 82% of the vote in the primary.{{cite web|url=http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20111206/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=61B|title=Minnesota Secretary of State: State Representative District 61B Special Primary Election Results|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517030820/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20111206/ElecRslts.asp?M=LG&LD=61B|archivedate=2012-05-17}} In the general election held on January 10, 2012, she faced only one opponent, who ran under the "Respect" label, beating him 56–43%.{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=1702|title=Minnesota Secretary of State: State Senate District 59 and Representative District 61B Special Election|access-date=2011-12-07|archive-date=2011-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122204902/http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=1702|url-status=dead}}

She was re-elected in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 general elections. She did not seek re-election in 2018.

Personal life

As an attorney, Allen specializes in serving Indian tribes, helping them draft tribal laws in a wide range of areas.{{cite web|url=http://susanallen61b.com/experience/|title=Susan Allen for Minnesota House District 61B: Experience|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120715085114/http://susanallen61b.com/experience/|archivedate=2012-07-15}} She is Lakota and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.{{cite web | url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/147395765.html | title=Rep. Susan Allen offers a unique legislative voice | publisher=Star Tribune | date=April 13, 2012 | accessdate=February 23, 2013 | author=Shah, Allie | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108175528/http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/147395765.html | archivedate=November 8, 2012 }} She identifies as two-spirit.{{cite web |last=Weber |first=Stephanie |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2016/12/21/susan_allen_minnesota_state_representative_is_lesbian_and_two_spirit_and.html |title=Minnesota Rep. Susan Allen Is Two-Spirit, a Lesbian, and She Won't Be Assimilated |website=Slate |date=December 21, 2016 |access-date=November 29, 2017}}