A St. Cloud daycare owner whose center took millions in public child-care money and racked up state violations has won a seat in the Minnesota House.
Story Highlights
- Democrat Abdi Daisane flipped a Republican-held seat, House District 14A, by fewer than 600 votes.
- His daycare took more than $7.29 million in state child-care aid since 2018, records show.
- The center has been cited for more than a dozen state violations, according to reports.
- Daisane has not been charged with any crime.
- Daisane will vote on the state budget, which pays for child-care aid, the same kind of money his center has drawn for years.
A Close Win In A Republican-Held Seat
On Tuesday, November 3, Abdi Daisane beat Republican Mike Conway, the St. Cloud City Council president, for Minnesota House District 14A. Unofficial results with all 18 precincts in gave Daisane about 51.6 percent of the vote, a margin of fewer than 600 votes. The seat had been held by a Republican. Daisane, who was born in Somalia, lost his first run for the same seat in 2024.
The race drew wide attention because of Daisane’s business. He is the CEO of Blooming Kids Child Care Center in downtown St. Cloud, and the center has taken large sums of taxpayer money while piling up state citations. Daisane has not been charged with any crime, and no report accuses him of one. He did not answer repeated requests for comment on the latest reports.
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Muslims elected to the next Congress
• Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) — U.S. Senate.…— Loretta “HellKitty” (@nofeardreams) November 4, 2026
Where The Money Came From
Records from a Minnesota House oversight committee show Blooming Kids has received a little more than $7.29 million since 2018 from the Child Care Assistance Program. That is a state program that helps low-income families pay for child care. The center also received $598,251.62 in approved claims since late 2020 from the Child and Adult Care Food Program, a federal program that pays for meals and snacks served to children in care.
From 2020 into early 2022, the center’s food claims ran through a nonprofit sponsor called Partners in Nutrition. In September, that nonprofit agreed to pay $18.5 million to settle a civil case brought by the Minnesota Attorney General. A civil case seeks money, not jail time. The Attorney General said the group “knowingly defrauded the State of Minnesota out of millions of dollars in federal child nutrition funds,” including claims for meals that were not served. Blooming Kids was not named in that case. The Attorney General’s office has said its look at site operators and vendors tied to the nonprofit is ongoing, but it has not said whether Blooming Kids or Daisane is part of it.
Years Of State Violations
State inspectors have cited Blooming Kids since 2021, with some problems showing up year after year, according to reports. Earlier findings included missing child medical records, staff training gaps, too few staff, poorly kept equipment and unclean rooms. Those earlier problems were later fixed, according to reports. State records cited in reports show Daisane was fined $400 in 2024 for two background study violations, meaning staff worked with children without current required background checks.
Since mid-2024, the center has been cited for more than a dozen more violations, according to reports. They include hazardous objects children could reach, unclean space, prohibited discipline and staff not watching children at all times. The center is licensed for up to 113 children, and its license is up for renewal in December.
What A Neighbor Said And What Daisane Has Said
A worker who spent years at a neighboring business told reporters, “I do not recall ever seeing children entering or leaving the facility.” The worker added that the center has a side or rear entrance that could not be seen, and later said that on some days about 5 to 10 school-age children used the rear playground. Reporters who visited on Thursday, November 5, found the center quiet, with a mostly empty parking lot.
Daisane did not answer requests for comment on these reports. In late 2025, he accepted responsibility for the earlier violations, according to reports, and blamed hiring trouble. “We have difficulties in recruiting folks to work at the day care for obvious reasons,” he said then, adding, “There’s higher needs for childcare in greater Minnesota.”
Bottom Line: A Seat In The Body That Writes The Checks
Daisane will vote on the state budget, which pays for child-care aid, the same kind of money his center has drawn for years. Critics online reacted with fury to his win, with one posting, “We are a lost state.” For taxpayers, the facts on the record are clear: millions in public money went to the center, the state cited it again and again, and the nonprofit that ran its food claims paid $18.5 million to settle fraud allegations. Daisane has not been charged, and he has not answered the latest reports.
Sources:
alphanews.org, alphanews.org, wfmd.com, sctimes.com, stcloudlive.com, aol.com, wcbm.com
