John Marty has been a lifelong champion of social, racial and economic justice.

The son of Dr. Martin Marty, a renowned author, minister and theologian, and his wife Elsa, John grew up in a home very engaged in the civil rights and anti-poverty movements.  When John was in elementary school, his father, along with other church leaders, marched in Selma, Alabama with Martin Luther King.  From this and other experiences, John grew up wanting to be a pastor because he believed that’s how social justice was achieved. 

As John grew, he realized that the reason religious leaders needed to fight for social change was because political leaders were standing in the way.  As a result, he realized that unless we bring about political change, we will never achieve economic and social change.  John attended St. Olaf College in Northfield and was heavily involved in social change movements – global hunger, environmental protection, civil rights, and anti-poverty struggles.

After college, he worked as a researcher for the legislature for several years and at a nonprofit foundation.  During this time, he met his wife Connie, and later had two children, Elsa and Micah.  John won a major upset victory for state Senate in 1986. 

John first became known statewide for his work in ethics and campaign finance reform. In 1993, he authored successful legislation to reduce the impact of special interest money on the political process. John was also the author of landmark legislation that prohibited lobbyists and interest groups from giving gifts to public officials. He has been a tireless voice for government reform and continues to press for legislation to end the influence of money in politics.

John has been a strong advocate for public investments in education that enable children to reach their full potential.  He has been a leading advocate for early childhood health and education and other initiatives to help children succeed.  He co-chaired the Legislative Commission to End Poverty and works for legislation to ensure that all workers receive a living wage.  Former chair of the Senate Environment Committee, he has been an outspoken leader on environmental protection issues and received the Sierra Club Environmentalist of the Year Award.

John currently chairs the Minnesota Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee.  He is author of the Minnesota Health Plan, a bold single-payer health plan that would cover all Minnesotans for all their medical needs, including mental health and chemical dependency.  He has been successful in gaining the support of one-third of the state’s legislature as co-authors.  As Governor, he will make Minnesota the first state in the country to deliver on this bold promise.