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Somali daycare owner tied to fraud wins Minnesota House race sparking online fury: ‘Lost state’
Abdi Daisane, a Somali-born candidate for Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, defeated a Republican incumbent to win House District 14A. His election has drawn attention because he owns a childcare centre that has received substantial public funding and was sponsored for federal food-program funding by a nonprofit that settled fraud claims.
Blooming Kids Child Care Center received $7.29 million through Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program since 2018 and $598,251.62 through the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program since 2020. Its CACFP sponsor, Partners in Nutrition, paid an $18.5 million civil settlement over claims it knowingly defrauded Minnesota of federal child nutrition funds; the article does not allege that Daisane was implicated in that fraud. Reports have also raised questions about the centre’s activity and cited violations, while Daisane’s victory prompted critical posts on social media.
In short
- Abdi Daisane won a Minnesota House seat.
- His childcare centre received millions in public funding.
- Its former sponsor settled fraud claims for $18.5 million.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Voters may reasonably see Daisane’s election as a choice about representation and the issues facing his district, rather than a verdict on every organisation connected to his childcare centre. The reported settlement concerned the nonprofit sponsor, and the story does not allege that Daisane took part in its fraud; public funding and regulatory violations alone do not establish personal wrongdoing.
The case against
Voters may reasonably argue that a candidate who owns a publicly funded childcare centre should face close scrutiny over its operations, compliance and use of public money. The sponsor’s fraud settlement and reports of questions about the centre could, in their view, raise legitimate concerns about oversight and judgement, even without evidence that Daisane was implicated in the sponsor’s misconduct.