Josh Bassais was born in North Minneapolis and has spent nearly his entire life in South Minneapolis, where his values were shaped by the neighbors and communities that raised him. He started his career in the labor movement as a union business representative with LIUNA and UNITE HERE, fighting for fair wages, safe workplaces, and dignity for working people.

Josh later moved into the private sector, managing a multimillion-dollar budget and learning how to make complex systems work efficiently and responsively — experience he brings to public service. As Lyndale Neighborhood Board President, he worked directly with families on issues like housing, safety, and access to resources, grounding his leadership in lived experience rather than political theory.

Today, Josh and his wife are raising their Minneapolis Public School children and live in the same home he grew up in — the house he bought back from his mother when it was time to build a life for his own family. He’s running for Hennepin County Commissioner because he’s seen how slow, confusing, and fragmented county systems can be for the people who rely on them most. Josh is committed to delivering a county government that works with urgency, fairness, and real accountability for every neighbor in District 3.