Ashlie Castaldo announces run for At-Large Duluth City Council seat

At a press conference held Friday at Cascade Park, Ashlie Castaldo announced her candidacy for an At-Large Duluth City Council seat.

“What inspired me to run is I’m someone who has faced a lot of adversity within this, as I see it. And I’ve definitely built a community of people who have also faced adversity as well. A lot of people discussing your property taxes, increases in rent, different families, security, just like myself, experiencing parks and recreation, a feeling that that the schools that they grew up in is not the same as it as it is now,” said Castaldo. “I know for myself, I feel especially protective of having the childhood that I had in Duluth and giving that to others, and so I just really want to represent the families and individuals in Duluth from all walks of life and really work on behalf of them. I’m someone who loves to give back a service and feels a deep enrichment from giving to others. And this is the best way I can give back to the city I love.”

Castaldo’s platform focuses on:

  • Creating a Strong Workforce.
  • Civic Engagement and Accountability.
  • Community Initiatives that Empower Duluthians.
  • Environmental and Resource Conservation.

Castaldo ran in 2022, garnering endorsements from the Duluth News Tribune, the Run for Something Organization, Duluth for Clean Water, and the DFL Environmental Caucus.

If elected, Castaldo would be the first Hispanic to serve on Duluth City Council as well as the first autistic woman to serve on a City Council across the U.S.