Shelley Madore: Tested leadership through adversity

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I’ve seen firsthand what happens when government stops listening, and that’s why I’m running for the Minneapolis City Council in Ward 2.

My family faced a financial crisis created by our reliance on Medicaid. Even with insurance, the mounting medical bills nearly bankrupted us. When my child required a $60,000 operation, our insurer refused to cover it. We turned to a supplemental insurance assistance program to help families like ours, but its strict income and asset limits only pushed us deeper into financial distress. Suddenly, like millions of Americans, my family became trapped in Medicaid poverty.

Living through that experience opened my eyes to how complex and unresponsive our care systems can be. I had to navigate caregiving, child care and senior care all at once — while trying to balance our finances through public support. Too often, dignity is overlooked in the way these services are administered.

Those experiences fueled my determination to make a difference. I began working to support other families facing similar struggles: serving lunches in the school cafeteria, volunteering with local Early Childhood and Family programs, joining a City Council committee, and leading Brownie and Cub Scout packs. I helped families navigate educational and support challenges and eventually led a parent support group. Through that work, I saw the power of community and the urgent need for responsive, compassionate local leadership.

My activism brought me to the State Capitol many times over the years. After seeing how broken the system was, I became an advocate for parents of children with disabilities. I even petitioned for change at the Capitol, where I met a legislator who inspired me to run for office.

I went through the roof. I told him: “This is wrong, and someday I’m going to come up here and change the system.” He just looked at me and said: “Good luck with that, dear.”

Well, that was all the motivation I needed. I went home and said, “I’m running for the Legislature.”

And I did. I ran, and I won the District 37A seat.

In the Minnesota Legislature, I served as the chair of the Disability Working Group. I championed single-payer health solutions as part of the Minnesota Health Plan. I also wrote the bill that allows anyone with a disability placard four hours of extended parking in the city of Minneapolis, legislation that is still in place today.

What I brought to the office was the deep knowledge that every action we take as policymakers has an immediate and direct impact on people’s lives, through their grocery bill, taxes and transportation.

Real investment in public services is deeply personal to me because our government should work for everyone. I’ll never forget the moment an elected official dismissed my concerns. That experience pushed me to run for public office, and I have always listened to the people I serve.

Our campaign is about listening to our community, and it is about Minneapolis. I hope to represent you on the Minneapolis City Council to be an advocate for our community.