Running for and winning a seat on the Mankato Area Public School Board was far more challenging than I anticipated, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

I’m incredibly grateful for this journey. I often think, “If you can’t write, you can’t think,” while my husband tends to the type where, If you can’t calculate, you can’t analyze. He’s calm, methodical, and analytical—qualities that make him successful in business and a wonderful life partner.

I owe a lot of my success to the support of Cristine Trooien at the Minnesota Parents Alliance (MPA) and Alex Gibson at Good Party. MPA is dedicated to excellence in education, while Good Party focuses on empowering independent candidates and getting big money out of politics. While MPA leans slightly conservative, Good Party leans slightly progressive, both organizations provided invaluable support, insight, and—importantly—a great sense of humor. In politics, you have to keep a sense of humor and not take yourself too seriously, or you won’t last. I hope to continue building relationships with both Good Party and MPA, as their dedication and innovative approaches are truly inspiring, and I look forward to watching their future impact.

Half of my canvassing team were longtime friends, but the other half were people I had the pleasure of meeting during this campaign. I’m grateful for the new friendships I’ve made—all of which I hope will last a lifetime. Listening to our community alongside a dedicated team, where we grow and adapt together, is one of the most rewarding experiences. I love door-knocking and canvassing, and with the tools from Good Party and the friendships I’ve built, I look forward to deepening my understanding of our community’s needs through future canvassing efforts.

Lastly, I am deeply grateful to my neighbors, who stood by me through character attacks. Many of them have watched me raise my family, host exchange students, and contribute to our community—we’ve grown together over the decades. I would never have expected anyone to stand with me against a crowd, yet many of them did. Thinking about the support they showed moves me to tears; it’s something I never anticipated. My greatest hope is to serve them as steadfastly as they’ve supported me, and my deepest fear is to ever fall short.

In Love,

Elizabeth HAnke