Somali daycare owner tied to fraud wins Minnesota House race sparking online fury: 'Lost state'

Fox News · Andrew Miller, Peter D'Abrosca · 2026-11-06 10:00 UTC

Abdi Daisane's Blooming Kids Child Care Center in St. Cloud received millions in state and federal funding and has faced multiple violations.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — The owner of a Somali daycare center that has faced scrutiny over state and federal funding and is linked to a massive fraud settlement won a seat in the Minnesota legislature Tuesday night.

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) candidate Abdi Daisane defeated a Republican incumbent to win Minnesota’s House District 14A seat in St. Cloud, Minnesota, becoming the first Somali-born lawmaker in the statehouse from St. Cloud, MPR News reported.

Daisane, who delivered part of his victory speech in Somali, is the CEO of Blooming Kids Child Care Center in St. Cloud, which has received $7.29 million from the state-run Child Care Assistance Program since 2018.

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