# Kristin Bahner

Kristin Bahner (/ˈbɑːnər/ BAH-nər; born August 15, 1972) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Bahner represents District 37B in the northwestern Twin Cities metropolitan area, including the city of Maple Grove in Hennepin County.

## Early life, education, and career

Bahner was raised in Richfield, Minnesota. She attended Gustavus Adolphus College, graduating with a bachelor of arts in communications.
Bahner is an IT consultant and small business owner specializing in agile software development and project management.
Bahner was one of the original organizers of the Minnesota Women's March that brought an estimated 110,000 people to the Minnesota State Capitol in January 2017, making it one of the largest single-day events in Minnesota history.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Bahner was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since. Bahner first ran unsuccessfully in 2016, challenging one-term Republican incumbent Dennis Smith. She challenged Smith again in 2018 and won. In 2018, Bahner's race was one of the top three races that generated the most outside spending and was supported by the Give Smart project.
Bahner serves as vice chair of the Human Services Finance Committee and sits on the Elections Finance and Policy, Health Finance and Policy, and State and Local Government Finance and Policy Committees. From 2021 to 2022, she was vice chair of the Human Services Finance and Policy Committee, and from 2019 to 2020 she was vice chair of the Subcommittee on Elections.
Governor Tim Walz appointed Bahner to serve on the governor's Blue Ribbon Panel on IT Reform, now called the Governor's Technical Advisory Council. She also was appointed chair of the Legislative Commission on Cybersecurity, which was created to identify vulnerabilities in Minnesota's cybersecurity defenses. Bahner has authored legislation that would make it easier for women to get access to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) shortly after giving birth.

## Electoral history

2016 Minnesota State House - District 34B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dennis Smith (incumbent) | 13,773 | 55.83 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Kristin Bahner | 10,841 | 43.95 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 55 | 0.22 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 24,669 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2018 Minnesota State House - District 34B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Kristin Bahner | 12,194 | 52.79 |
| | Republican | Dennis Smith (incumbent) | 10,873 | 47.07 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 33 | 0.14 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 23,100 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican | Democratic (DFL) gain from Republican |
2020 Minnesota State House - District 34B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Kristin Bahner (incumbent) | 15,337 | 53.65 |
| | Republican | Dori Trossen | 13,232 | 46.29 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 16 | 0.06 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 28,585 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |
2022 Minnesota State House - District 37B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Kristin Bahner (incumbent) | 12,293 | 55.61 |
| | Republican | John Bristol | 9,802 | 44.34 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 11 | 0.05 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 22,106 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold | Democratic (DFL) hold |

## Personal life

Bahner lives in Maple Grove, Minnesota, with her partner, Brahme.