She is a former member of the Minnesota Senate, representing District 44, which included portions of Minnetonka, Plymouth and Woodland in Hennepin County in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

[1] Bonoff grew up in Edina, Minnesota and later attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, earning a degree in psychology and sociology.

[7][8][9] She also created the MN PIPELINE (Private Investment, Public Education Labor Industry Experience) Project,[10] which has received national and international recognition.

[13] Bonoff has been a supporter of Minnesotacare, a partnership between private industry and government to provide health care to low-income families and individuals.

Bonoff has said, "Frankly, I thought our MinnesotaCare program and our subsequent reform efforts to enhance quality while keeping costs down should have been the backbone of the Affordable Care Act"[14][failed verification] and "Minnesota should establish a health insurance exchange that complies with the minimum requirements under federal law and provides exchange consumers the ability to shop based on provider quality as well as cost.

"[15] In order to do that Bonoff has said the legislature should "evaluate the cost-effectiveness of new and existing health benefits and eliminate barriers to flexible, innovative insurance products, purchasing and finance options.

[18] Bonoff authored a bill calling for voter verification, which would create a link between the Secretary of State's voting rolls and the Department of Motor Vehicles records (2012 SF 2555).

[23] After serving in the Minnesota legislature for two years, Bonoff ran for the 3rd congressional district seat held by the retiring Jim Ramstad.

[36][37] She was also endorsed by AFSCME, Building Trades, Regional Council of Carpenters, LiUNA!, SMART, Human Rights Campaign PAC, End Citizens United, MN Professional Firefighters, American Association for Justice, National Organization for Women, Sierra Club and ECM Publishers, Inc.[38][39] Shortly after she announced her candidacy in April 2016,[40] Bonoff's campaign was highlighted by the DCCC as a nationally targeted "Red to Blue" race.

[41] In the November 8, 2016, general election, Bonoff was defeated by incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen, who won 57% of the vote.