Carleton Convo with Senator Patricia Torres Ray | October 4, 2024

Carleton Convos

Patricia Torres Ray — a former member of the Minnesota Senate, where she represented District 63 — delivered the Carleton convocation address on Friday, October 4 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. Her address was titled, “Immigration as Statement of Conscience.”

After working in public service for 20 years, Torres Ray ran for office in 2006 and became the first Latina elected to the Minnesota Senate. She held multiple leadership roles there, including majority whip, chair of the Parks and Trails Legacy Committee, chair of the New Immigration Policy Commission, chair of the Education Policy Committee, and chair of the State and Local Government Committee.

In 2010, Torres Ray was the first woman of color to run as lieutenant governor with Senator John Marty for governor. She is a recognized local and national leader and has received multiple awards recognizing her contributions to eliminating disparities and opening opportunities for women, low-income people, and communities who live on the margins.

Torres Ray decided not to run for re-election in 2022 after serving in the senate for 16 years. She opened her own firm, PTR Associates, to assist small organizations in managing political and public policy strategies centered around the needs and assets of Indigenous communities, people of color, and immigrant communities.

Torres Ray is a native of Colombia, a public affairs graduate from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and a parent of two boys.

Learn more about Carleton Convos at go.carleton.edu/convocations