Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Kozlowski is the child of a Mexican union electrician father and a Fond du Lac Band Ojibwe mother.[2][4] They were raised by their grandmother and adopted in adulthood by a native family.[5] Their adoptive father, Ray "Skip" Sandman, was an Anishinaabe spiritual leader and ran twice for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.[6][5]
From 2019 to 2021, Kozlowski worked as a community relations officer for the City of Duluth and Mayor Emily Larson, where they advocated to remove the word "chief" from city job titles and helped create a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People Reward Fund, the first in Minnesota.[2][8][9]
Minnesota House of Representatives
Kozlowski was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2022. They first ran after four-term DFL incumbent Jennifer Schultz announced they would not seek reelection and would run for the 8th Congressional District.[2] Kozlowski defeated Duluth City Council president Arik Forsman in the DFL primary.[10] When they took office, Kozlowski became the first nonbinary member of the Minnesota Legislature, the second two-spirit member, after Susan Allen, and the first Mexican and first Ojibwe person to represent Duluth.[11][12]
Kozlowski serves on the Capital Investment, Economic Development Finance and Policy, Housing Finance and Policy, and Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committees.[2] They are the vice chair of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and a member of the legislator's first Queer Caucus, made up of LGBTQ+ members.[13]
Kozlowski was highlighted as part of Minnesota Public Radio's 2023 "Changemakers" series, which showcases Minnesotans from diverse backgrounds making an impact in the state.[5]
Political positions
Kozlowski campaigned on increasing support for working families through universal childcare and fully-funded education, protecting the environment through "prove it first" mining permit legislation, and affordable healthcare for all.[4]
Kozlowski is pro-choice and supports increasing abortion access for people of color, gender-expansive people, and immigrants.[14] They have spoken out in favor of legislation making Minnesota a "trans refuge state" for those seeking gender-affirming care and have pushed for creating inclusive schools and increasing housing access for disadvantaged communities.[15] Kozlowski authored a law adding gender-neutral bathrooms in Minnesota schools in 2023.[5]
Kozlowski supported efforts to increase funding for the state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. Native American women and girls are only 1% of Minnesota's population but made up 8% of all murdered women and girls from 2010 through 2018.[16]
