Friends,
I’m thrilled to be your candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives from House District 12A. Like so many of you, I believe we need a new brand of Representative serving the people of western Minnesota. I’m running because it’s time that we have a voice in St. Paul that reflects who we really are – I will focus on the issues that really concern the people of western Minnesota.
I’m running because the politics of division do not serve us, as a state, as a nation, and certainly not here at home in western Minnesota. Pointing fingers, name-calling, and scapegoating are the tools of the dividers and I know we’re better than that. The folks that I know in rural Minnesota are good people who share a long-held commitment to civility, respect, fair play, and caring for one another. That’s the higher standard. Anchored in our best selves, our best collective values, I will work to bring forward a new brand of leadership that serves us honorably and effectively in the Minnesota State House.
I can’t say it enough. The politics of hate, fear, and division have no place in governing Minnesota. The rich and powerful should not be first to the table when legislators set policy for ordinary people. I’m running because Minnesotans have a long-held belief that everybody needs a fair shot at a secure and prosperous future – that hard work is rewarded with advancement and fair pay. We also believe that we should take care of the people and the places we love, that an ethic of care is a value worth preserving. We believe that together, as a state, we should invest in the future – a future that will educate our children and be brighter, fairer, more attainable and more just for everyone – that investing in the generations that come after us IS a core value that should guide our actions. And I’m running because I believe that this future will only be realized if we face head-on the racism, gender bias, and class biases that currently undermine our ability to move forward together as one Minnesota.
I am running because I want to serve my district and make lives better for ordinary people. To do that:
- I am committed to strong and independent leadership
- I am committed to maintaining a forward-looking and positive vision, and
- I am committed to setting an example of respect and collegiality as I do the work of the people in my district.
When serious and committed policy makers work together to find solutions to difficult problems, solutions that truly reflect our shared values, we will come a lot closer to:
- Making access to health care more accessible and affordable – working toward a long-term solution for every Minnesotan.
- Finding common ground to address gun violence that will move us beyond narrow self-interests and the influence of the powerful gun lobby and toward a Minnesota Solution. The right solution will keep us safe while preserving the rights of rural people to hunt and own guns to protect themselves and their property.
- To doing everything possible to keep family farmers on the land and protect our water and soil resources. Serious and committed policy makers will move fast to do what they can as a state to help farmers as prices plummets and markets collapse as a result of misguided trade policies from Washington.
I’m running to help solve problems, to bring us together and get things done. I’ll need your help – but first, I need your vote.