Rhonda Sivarajah
| Rhonda Sivarajah | |
|---|---|
| Assumed office Anoka County Board - 2003 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cambridge, Minnesota |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ran Sivarajah |
| Children | Sonjay and Asha Sivarajah |
| Residence | Lino Lakes, Minnesota |
| Alma mater | Saint Cloud State University |
| Website | http://www.rhondaforcongress.com/ |
Rhonda Sivarajah (born in Cambridge, Minnesota) is a Minnesota politician, an Anoka County Commissioner, former candidate for Lieutenant Governor and current candidate for Minnesota's Sixth District Congressional seat.
Sivarajah received a degree in international relations from St. Cloud State University. She worked in the human services division of Anoka County before running for office. She resides in Lino Lakes, along with her husband, Ran, and two children, Sonjay and Asha. She is a former small business owner.
In 2002, Sivarajah was elected to the Anoka County Commission, representing the 6th district. In 2011 she was first elected the Anoka County Board Chair and has been re-elected as chair in 2012 and 2013.[1][2][3]
As a member of the Anoka County Board, she also serves on The Northstar Corridor Development Authority.[4]
On February 18, 2010, Republican gubernatorial candidate Marty Seifert announced that Sivarajah would serve as his running mate.[5] After losing the Republican Party endorsement, to Tom Emmer and Annette Meeks, Seifert and Sivarajah withdrew from the race.[6]
When Sivarajah was elected to the Anoka County Board she initially was the sole conservative. Over the years she has been called "a darling of the local conservative blogs", according to the Star-Tribune.[7]
She has been criticized, by advocates of the Northstar Line rail project, for removing Commissioner Dan Erhart from the Anoka County Rail Authority. "Erhart, a former County Board chairman, says there been "no transparency" and "no conversation" under Sivarajah's reign. Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein, who criticized Sivarajah for removing Erhart from Anoka County's rail authority management committee, said, "Her leadership is going to send Anoka County backward in time." In an e-mail to all seven commissioners, former Veterans Services director Allison Lister described the county's leadership as "appalling"."[8]
In March 2013, Sivarajah was one of four Anoka County Commissioners who voted to repeal the county's prevailing wage ordinance. The move has been described as anti-union.[9]
Sivarajah announced in June 2013 that she will run for the 6th Congressional District seat being vacated by Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.[10][11] She is the third announced candidate in the race, along with former State Senator Tom Emmer, who was the Republican Gubernatorial Candidate in 2010.
References
- ↑ New Anoka County Board chair Sivarajah had been Seifert's running mate - MinnPost - Joe Kimball - Jan. 4, 2011
- ↑ Rhonda Sivarajah re-elected chairperson of Anoka County Board - Hometown Source - Jan. 5, 2012
- ↑ Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah Elected Anoka County Board Chair - KSTP - Jennie Olson - Jan. 25, 2013
- ↑ The Northstar Corridor Development Authority
- ↑ Kimball, Joe. "Seifert running mate: Rhonda Sivarajah, Anoka County commissioner"
- ↑ Everything broke right today for tom emmer - MinnPost - April 30, 2010
- ↑ From minority of one to chairwoman of the board - Star Tribune - PAUL LEVY - May 15, 2012
- ↑ Star Tribune - supra - May 15, 2012
- ↑ Anoka County repeals prevailing wage policy - Workday Minnesota - Steve Share - March 3, 2013
- ↑ Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah jumps into race for Bachmann's House seat - City Pages
- ↑ Sivarajah to challenge Emmer for Republican Party Endorsement - KMSP - Mike Durkin - June 12, 2013
