DFL candidate who was in labor during endorsement convention to run in primary

After withdrawing from last month's endorsing convention to give birth, Minnesota Senate candidate Erin Maye Quade announced she'll compete in an August primary against DFL Party-endorsed candidate Justin Emmerich. 

Maye Quade, a former state representative who ran for lieutenant governor in 2018, is running to represent the new District 56, which spans Apple Valley, Rosemount and southeastern Eagan. 

"It is because of my convention experience and the support from my community that I am proud to announce our campaign for State Senate will continue to the August primary," Maye Quade wrote in an announcement Monday. 

"Birth is unpredictable, but my experience wasn't unique," she continued. "It was emblematic of the larger battle we are fighting to build a world where reproductive health is prioritized and Black women's health is taken seriously." 

Maye Quade made national headlines last month after a video of her giving a convention speech while in active labor went viral and sparked debate about whether or not the endorsement should've been postponed altogether. 

Emmerich maintains he would have agreed to suspend the convention if Maye Quade or any delegates had formally asked, according to the Minnesota Reformer. Maye Quade's campaign manager said Maye Quade did ask Emmerich, but he didn't give an answer. 

"As a collective, we did not center the needs of this brave strong woman in her acute medical need," wrote State Rep. Liz Reyer (DFL-Eagan), adding the MN DFL should put rules in place to help ensure the party is truly inclusive. 

Maye Quade and her wife, Alysa, welcomed their daughter, Harriet, to the world the day after the convention.