Thursday August 30, 2018
By Mukhtar M. Ibrahim
Ahmed Hirsi will replace Aisha Gomez, who won the DFL primary race for Minneapolis House District 62B.
Minneapolis
City Council Member Alondra Cano will soon hire a new senior policy
aide: Ahmed Hirsi, the husband of state Rep. Ilhan Omar, who recently
won the DFL primary in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison.
Hirsi will replace Aisha Gomez, who won the primary race for state House District 62B.
“I am
thrilled to announce that Ahmed Hirsi will be joining the Ninth Ward
office for the upcoming months to help us during our staff transition as
our dear friend, co-conspirator, and candidate Aisha Gomez readies for
the November election and takes a leave of absence during the month of
October,” Cano said in an e-mail to her council colleagues.
Between
April and Aug. 6, Hirsi worked for St. Paul College helping students
with financial aid and registration issues. Previously, he worked as a
banker for Wells Fargo for 11 years. Since May 2016, Hirsi has been
running his own business, New American Financial Literacy, which advises
immigrant communities about homebuying, banking, entrepreneurship and
taxes.
Hirsi, who
declined to comment Wednesday because he said he didn’t sign official
documents, is expected to start his new job in September. The salary for
senior policy aides for council members ranges from $73,000 to $81,000,
city records show.
Hirsi’s foray into city politics will coincide with his wife’s campaigning ahead of the general election in November.
Rep. Ilhan Omar hugged her husband, Ahmed Hirsi, in JuneGLEN STUBBE - STAR TRIBUNE FILE