19 Facts About Esther Agbaje

Esther Agbaje was born on March 19,1985 and is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2021.

Esther Agbaje was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to parents who immigrated to Minnesota from Nigeria.

Esther Agbaje grew up in Brainerd and Faribault, and graduated from Shattuck-St Mary's Boarding School.

Esther Agbaje graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor of arts in political science, the University of Pennsylvania with a master of public administration, and Harvard University with a juris doctor.

Esther Agbaje is an associate attorney with Ciresi Conlin LLP, where she practices in general civil litigation and medical malpractice.

Esther Agbaje did pro bono work helping renters dealing with housing insecurity and evictions.

Esther Agbaje was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2020 and reelected in 2022.

Esther Agbaje challenged four-term DFL incumbent Raymond Dehn, winning the DFL endorsement and defeating Dehn in the primary election.

Esther Agbaje serves as vice chair of the Housing Finance and Policy Committee, and sits on the Elections Finance and Policy, Taxes, and Ways and Means Committees.

Esther Agbaje has served as an assistant majority leader since 2023.

Esther Agbaje has called for greater investment in housing, calling housing a human right, and authored a bill that would provide $45 million in funding to Minneapolis to repair affordable housing units.

Esther Agbaje sponsored legislation that gave more rights and protections to those who use self-storage units, especially those who have recently been evicted.

Esther Agbaje authored the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act.

Esther Agbaje testified about her experience straightening her hair for fear of losing a job or not being perceived as professional.

Esther Agbaje wrote a law lowering the threshold for pardons and commutations from unanimous support of the state Board of Pardons to a two-thirds majority.

Esther Agbaje is pro-choice, and in 2023 authored a bill that offered legal protections to patients who travel to Minnesota for an abortion and the providers who treat them.

Esther Agbaje sponsored a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to access MinnesotaCare, the state's health insurance for low-income families.

In 2023, Esther Agbaje advocated against fully eliminating the state tax on Social Security income, saying it should be targeted to low- and middle-income seniors.

Esther Agbaje joined environmental advocates in pushing for the closing of a metal shredder in North Minneapolis after a stockpile caught fire.