Kristy Janigo

Kristy Janigo is the Democratic candidate for Minnesota State Senate District 37 in the November 3, 2026 general election and the deputy mayor of Maple Grove.[1][2] In a Ballotpedia survey, she said she is an Army National Guard veteran with a Ph.D. who works in local government overseeing and auditing public services.[2]

Janigo's Ballotpedia profile lists a bachelor's degree from North Dakota State University in 2005 and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2015, and service in the U.S. Army National Guard from 2000 to 2006.[1] In the survey, she said she grew up in small towns in North Dakota and joined the Army National Guard at 17.[2] She said she worked for 15 years in the private sector in global manufacturing and then taught for three years in higher education, where she was an academic department chair.[2]

Janigo said she later worked for three years as a veteran advocate and has been a Maple Grove City Council member for four years, and that she also volunteers as a part-time special deputy for the sheriff's water patrol.[2] She listed affordability, safe communities and trust in government as her top priorities, and named veterans issues and local issues as policy areas she cares about.[2] She won the August 11, 2026 Democratic primary and said she is the DFL-endorsed candidate.[1][2]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.