In light of all that is going on in Minneapolis, and throughout the nation in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, Les Lester feels that more needs to be done to address the needs of the African American community. That is why he is challenging Ilhan Omar for Minnesota's 5th District seat in Congress. 

   Les Lester did his first interview of the campaign the afternoon of June 2nd on KFAI Radio's Al MacFarlane Show. He is a journalist, author, teacher, and community organizer, who has served as communication director for the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH, communication chair for the St. Paul, Minn. NAACP, and general assignment reporter for the Chicago Daily Defender newspaper. Lester has also contributed op-ed pieces in the Minnesota Pioneer Press newspaper, the MinnPost newspaper, Insight News, The Spokesman-Recorder, Minnesota Public Radio’s online edition and other venues. He is a graduate of Chicago State University and was the recipient of a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship where he studied media process and effects at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC). He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change.

   In 2018, he was a write-in candidate for the U. S. House 5th Congressional District seat in Minnesota for the Green Party after the incumbent, Keith Ellison, decided to run for Attorney General on the final date of filing for the election. He is a lifelong Democrat, and this time running as a DFL candidate.

   Check out his website: www.leslester.org to learn all about his stand on the issues of importance to residents of Minbnesota's 5th District.