Hi! I’m Kyrstin Schuette.

I learned early what it means to fight for everything you have. As a teenager, I became a plaintiff in a civil rights lawsuit challenging discrimination in Minnesota’s largest school district, Anoka-Hennepin. I also experienced housing instability and financial insecurity throughout my youth. And when I first came out and my family was navigating what that meant for us, so I spent many nights in my purple Ford Taurus or on friends’ couches while working long hours managing a Starbucks or waiting tables trying to get by.

It was during that time, when I was trying to hold everything together, that campaigns and politics found me. Someone saw something in me and gave me a chance to step into my strength and put my values into action. That opportunity changed my life and set me on a path of doing the most good for the most people, every single day.

Over the years, my immediate family and I have rebuilt our relationships based on love, patience, and a commitment to growing together. Today we are closer than ever, and that support, along with the life I have built with my wife, my high school sweetheart, grounds me and guides my work.

For more than 15 years, I’ve worked for dozens of candidates from school board members to congressional campaigns to presidential races. I’ve worked for the Minnesota DFL, for nonprofits, and for causes that matter deeply to me and my fellow Minnesotans. I helped pass life-changing legislation like marriage equality, the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act, and cannabis legalization. I’ve trained organizers, built movements, and helped people harness their power and turn their values into action.

Throughout my advocacy and career, I’ve been proud to receive recognitions such as the Department of Justice Pride Award, the National Center for Lesbian Rights Courage Award, and the American Association of Political Consultants Campaign of the Year Award. Today, through my own political consultancy, I continue championing candidates and causes that put people first.

In 2023, I founded the School Board Integrity Project to protect public education and push back against extremist attacks on students, families, and educators. Since then, our organization has supported more than 650 candidates across 42 states — with the majority of them right here in Minnesota — who are standing up for stronger, more inclusive public schools.

Crystal became home for my wife, our pets, and me because it gave us the chance to build a life and be part of a real community. We were able to afford our dream of becoming homeowners, something I never knew would be possible given my background and as part of a millennial generation that is the first expected to be worse off than our parents.

Since making Crystal our home, I have seen up close how many of our neighbors are struggling just to stay afloat and are not participating in our democracy. People in this district are not disengaged or uninterested. They are busy making impossible choices, whether to pay the heat bill or the mortgage, fix the car or keep the lights on. When you are facing choices like that, ones my wife and I have had to navigate as well, politics feels far away even though it shapes your daily life.

That is why I believe so deeply that we have to bring politics to the people, just as it was brought to me when I needed it most. It cannot only be about showing up when we need votes or during an “on year”. We need to build power up and down the ballot, at every level of government, in every community, all year round. We need to listen, meet people where they are, and create opportunities for them to make their voices heard and be part of the work.

I never imagined running for office myself. I have always taken pride in being the person behind the scenes, helping others run, lead, and win. But with the attacks coming from the federal administration, the divisiveness in our politics, and the very real pressure families like mine are under, I knew it was time to step forward. If this is another way I can serve our community and continue the work I have dedicated my life to, then count me in.

I am running because District 43A deserves leadership rooted in real life, real values, and real courage. Leadership that does not just talk about the issues but lives them. Leadership that knows what it means to take on tough fights. Leadership that listens, shows up, and works alongside you every day.

I am ready to earn your trust, work with you to advance our shared values, and bring your voices into the halls of power.

A group of people, including children and adults, standing on a stage in an official government setting, with a woman speaking at a podium bearing the seal of the Department of Justice. The background features large statues and flags.
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Group of people gathered together at a political event for Pete in 2020, standing in front of a blue backdrop with Pete's name and campaign symbols, smiling and posing for the photo.
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A diverse group of people gathered indoors at a political rally, holding signs supporting a candidate named Kaela Berg. There are campaign signs and banners for Walz and Flanagan in the background.
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