Denise Cardinal is the executive director of the left-of-center activist organization WIN Minnesota. ¹ She has held communications and political roles for liberal candidates, causes, campaigns, and elected officials for more than 20 years. ²

Cardinal is also the director of the Democratic-aligned WIN Minnesota Political Action Committee, ^{3 4} an advisor to the left-of-center Committee on States, and a former employee of National Education Association (NEA) teachers’ union. ^{5 6}

Career

Denise Cardinal is a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota finance professional ⁷ and labor union and Democratic Party activist who has been the executive director of the left-of-center activist organization WIN Minnesota since February 2015. ⁸ She has held communications and political roles for left-progressive candidates, causes, campaigns, and elected officials for more than 20 years ⁹ and was recently the chair of the 2022 Fund (formerly known as the 2018 Fund), a left-of-center activist group in Minnesota. ¹⁰

In addition to her role at WIN Minnesota, Cardinal is also the executive director of the Democratic-aligned WIN Minnesota Political Action Committee. ^{11 12} She is an advisor to the left-of-center Committee on States to support other left-of-center state policy groups ¹³ and is the president of St. Paul-based Cardinal Insight consulting firm, where she works to “help progressive policies and candidates win.” ^{14 15}

At Cardinal Insights, she works on issue and political campaign management, coalition managing, strategic communications, political communications, crisis communications, grassroots organizing, media relations, media training, writing, editing, research, and speechwriting. ¹⁶

In 2017 while still working at WIN Minnesota, Cardinal facilitated discussions at left-of-center Democracy Alliance’s 2017 national donor summit. ¹⁷ She has also participated in conference programming in other years. ¹⁸

Prior to joining WIN Minnesota, Cardinal was the executive director of the left-of-center ProgressNow and ProgressNow Education Fund from 2011 until 2013. ¹⁹

In 2006, Cardinal moved to Minnesota to be the communications director for left-of-center America Votes Minnesota. ²⁰ She helped start the liberal ²¹ Alliance for a Better Minnesota (ABM) in 2007 and led the organization until 2010, in which ABM attacked Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer throughout the campaign, playing a major role in the election of Governor Mark Dayton (D-MN). ²² Cardinal was the senior press officer of the NEA, where she focused on the No Child Left Behind Act, from 2001 until 2005. ^{23 24}

Conrad has also worked for former U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) and has been on the board of directors for Minnesotans United for All Families, left-of-center Minnesota Voice, and the advisory board for the Funders Committee for Civic Participation (FCCP), a donor affinity group for left-wing voter engagement advocacy. ²⁵

Prior to working in politics, Cardinal worked at newspapers in Nevada, Idaho, and Iowa. ²⁶

Political Contributions

Denise Cardinal has made Federal Election Commission-reportable campaign contributions to U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and the left-of-center funding intermediary ActBlue. ²⁷

Personal Information

Denise Cardinal holds a bachelor of the arts in communication, journalism, and related programs from Drake University. She was born in Stillwater, Minnesota, and lives in St. Paul. ^{28 29}

1. “Denise Cardinal.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecardinal/.
2. “Denise Cardinal.” Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://funderscommittee.org/staff-board/denise-cardinal/.
3. Bui, Tiffany. “Ilhan Omar and Republican panelists break down midterm results.” Minnesota Daily.  November 8, 2018. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://mndaily.com/233784/news/ctanalysis/.
4. “WIN Minnesota Political Action Fund – 30625.” Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://cfb.mn.gov/reports-and-data/viewers/campaign-finance/political-committee-fund/30625/2018.
5. “About Cardinal Insight.” Cardinal Insight. Accessed December 8, 2022. http://www.denisecardinal.com/about-cardinal-insight.
6. “Denise Cardinal.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecardinal/.
7. Callaghan, Peter. “DFL-supporting independent expenditure campaigns far outraise GOP and candidates in Minnesota.” Minnesota Post. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.minnpost.com/elections/2022/09/dfl-supporting-independent-expenditure-campaigns-far-outraise-gop-and-candidates-in-minnesota/.
8.  “Denise Cardinal.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecardinal/.
9. “Denise Cardinal.” Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://funderscommittee.org/staff-board/denise-cardinal/.
10. “2022 Fund (fka 2018 Fund) 41144.” Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://cfb.mn.gov/reports-and-data/viewers/campaign-finance/political-committee-fund/41144/2018/.
11. Bui, Tiffany. “Ilhan Omar and Republican panelists break down midterm results.” Minnesota Daily.  November 8, 2018. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://mndaily.com/233784/news/ctanalysis/.
12. “WIN Minnesota Political Action Fund – 30625.” Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://cfb.mn.gov/reports-and-data/viewers/campaign-finance/political-committee-fund/30625/2018.
13. “About Cardinal Insight.” Cardinal Insight. Accessed December 8, 2022. http://www.denisecardinal.com/about-cardinal-insight.
14. “Denise Cardinal.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecardinal/.
15. “Cardinal Insight.” Facebook Profile. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/cardinalinsight/about.
16. “Services.” Cardinal Insight. Accessed December 8, 2022. http://www.denisecardinal.com/services-1.
17. Schenkel, Kate. “Managing Partner Sam Pond Speaks at Democracy Alliance’s National Donor Summit.” Pond Lehocky. April 7, 2017. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.pondlehocky.com/news/samuel-pond-democracy-alliances-national-donor-summit/.
18. “Democracy Alliance Spring 2016 Conference.” Politico. April 9, 2016. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://static.politico.com/64/47/b971249843558514c9c6aff87765/democracy-alliance-spring-meeting-agenda.pdf.
19. “Denise Cardinal.” Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://funderscommittee.org/staff-board/denise-cardinal/.
20. “About Cardinal Insight.” Cardinal Insight. Accessed December 8, 2022. http://www.denisecardinal.com/about-cardinal-insight.
21. Confessore, Nicholas. “A National Strategy Funds State Political Monopolies.” New York Times. January 11, 2014. Accessed via Web Archive December 8, 2022. https://archive.ph/UZrQH.
22. Bierschbach, Briana. “Geo-targeting will play big role in 2012 elections.” Minnesota Lawyer. October 5, 2011. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://minnlawyer.com/2011/10/05/geo-targeting-will-play-big-role-in-%e2%80%9912-elections/.
23. “About Cardinal Insight.” Cardinal Insight. Accessed December 8, 2022. http://www.denisecardinal.com/about-cardinal-insight.
24. “Denise Cardinal.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecardinal/.
25. “Denise Cardinal.” Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://funderscommittee.org/staff-board/denise-cardinal/.
26. ^[1] “About Us.” Cardinal Insight. Accessed December 11, 2022. http://www.denisecardinal.com/about-us
27. “Individual Contributions.” Federal Election Commission Denise Cardinal Search Result. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=denise%20cardinal.
28. “Denise Cardinal.” LinkedIn. Accessed December 8, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecardinal/.
29. “About Us.” Cardinal Insight. Accessed December 11, 2022. http://www.denisecardinal.com/about-us.