Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The interview focused on a newly elected Minnesota House member describing how he entered politics after a surprise campaign run and primary endorsement. He said he does not consider himself a politician, but believes his honesty and open dealings with people resonated with voters in central Minnesota. He described his district as largely rural, centered on Todd County and parts of Wadena, Cass, and Morrison counties, with agriculture as the main industry alongside some manufacturing, timber, lakes, and hunting land. Asked what constituents wanted addressed in 2023, he said property taxes were the biggest concern, especially for an aging population worried about being taxed out of their homes despite a state budget surplus. He also discussed how his background as a business owner, cattle raiser, homeschool parent, and father of nine shapes his approach. He said he and his wife are fully committed to their responsibilities and that he ran to protect his children’s future and preserve the rural way of life and opportunities he grew up with. No votes or formal legislative actions were taken in the interview.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Christy Purcell, the representative from District 58A, described her district as mostly rural, including Northfield, parts of New Prague, Dundas, Lonsdale, and surrounding rural areas. She said she is also the executive director of a small clean water nonprofit. She explained that her decision to run for the House grew out of her experience helping write legislation with former Rep. Todd Lippert, including a bill that secured about $5 million for soil health practices that support farmers, protect clean water, and help the climate. Purcell said her campaign centered on listening to constituents, especially through door knocking. She said many people raised concerns about climate, agriculture, and the rising cost of living, including child care, health care, rent, gas, and groceries. She noted that these concerns were especially motivating given the state’s roughly $9 billion surplus, which she saw as an opportunity to find solutions that help more people. Looking ahead to the next legislative session, Purcell said she wants to build on work supporting farmers on soil health, clean water, and climate issues. She also identified education as a major priority, saying the state should do more to support students and educators. She referenced her own children in Minnesota public schools and said she believes the state can and should do better, especially after some local school funding referendums failed, such as in New Prague.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The speaker, Tom Murphy of Otter Tail County, introduced himself as representing western Douglas and eastern Otter Tail County, and said he runs an egg products business with a long background in agriculture. He explained that he decided to run for the House because he felt called to get involved after his children were grown and his business had been sold, and he wanted to address concerns he saw in the community. He said the main issues he heard while door knocking in greater Minnesota were inflation, crime, and education. On inflation, he described residents struggling with groceries and gas, especially older people and larger families. On agriculture, he emphasized the need to preserve a strong, viable farm economy. On crime, he said even rural areas are seeing more of it, and he shared a personal example of being broken into twice in Kansas City. On education, Murphy said local schools are strong, but some parents feel they are losing control over what their children are learning and want greater investment and more parental influence. He also described his campaign slogan, “conservative values for generations to come,” as meaning more freedom and less government, especially for small business owners and families, so they can succeed and pass that success on to their children.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: An incoming House member described her background as a married mother of four and small business owner, saying she decided to run after becoming concerned about school shutdowns and the impact on her daughter, who struggled with remote learning and masking restrictions. She said she contacted the school board repeatedly and felt frustrated that children were kept out of classrooms, citing nearby South Dakota as an example of keeping schools open. She said she was elected to House District 21B, which includes most of Nobles and Jackson counties, parts of Martin County, and several townships in Cottonwood County. In discussing what voters wanted addressed, she said the main issues were protecting the Second Amendment, improving safety, and reducing taxes, which she described as too high. When asked what she planned to do first in the Legislature, she said she was still learning how everything works and wanted to get her feet wet, talk with other members, and better understand the process. No votes or formal legislative actions were taken in the interview.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Andy Smith, the Representative-elect for House District 25B from Rochester, introduced himself and described his background as a small business owner. He said he opened Gray Duck Theater in 2019, a community-oriented movie theater that shows independent, documentary, and locally made films and hosts regular Q&A events with nonprofits, political leaders, and filmmakers. He framed the theater as a way to connect with the community and understand local concerns. Smith said the issues he heard most often while door-knocking were health care, especially abortion access, along with broader concerns about making health care more accessible and simpler to navigate. He also emphasized the economy, saying Minnesota should be a strong place to work for people in many professions, and tied that to health care, child care, wages, and abortion access. He described health care as a human right and said he is eager to work on those issues in St. Paul. Asked about his campaign slogan, “Courage to Listen, Courage to Act,” Smith said it reflects his experience listening to people with different viewpoints, including coming from a conservative family while holding progressive views himself. He said listening should lead to action, and that he hopes to bring both openness to different perspectives and the willingness to act on what he believes is right.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The interview featured a newly elected Minnesota House member and former U.S. Army veteran discussing why he ran for office and what he hopes to accomplish. He said he was motivated by volunteering in his community, seeing problems that needed fixing, and being encouraged by his wife to “do something about it.” He described his military background as training in teamwork, mission focus, planning, and resource management, which he believes will help him work with colleagues to address both complex and everyday state issues. He defined his idea of the “Minnesota dream” as preserving clean water, air, and land, keeping Minnesota a great place to live and retire, reducing crime, attracting veterans back to the state, and supporting families, businesses, and homeownership. He also emphasized restoring academic excellence and civics education, and said he values respectful political debate without name-calling or canceling others. The member identified his district as House District 41A, a newly drawn district covering areas including Grant Township, Lake Elmo, Baytown, Lakeland, West Lakeland, shoreline communities along the St. Croix, Afton, northern Denmark Township, and part of Cottage Grove. He said voters at the doors raised concerns about seniors, gas and food prices, and government not working as it should, and he said he wants to work on those issues with his colleagues.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The exchange was an introductory interview with María Isa Pérez Vega, an incoming Minnesota House member from District 65B. She described herself as a West Side St. Paul native, Puerto Rican, a youth worker, recording artist, and small business owner, and said the district includes downtown St. Paul, the West Side, parts of the old Italian neighborhoods, and West St. Paul, spanning Ramsey and Dakota counties. She said the district’s major concerns are public school funding, cultural competency in education, housing and rent stabilization, accessible health care, and support for small businesses, especially cultural businesses that were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasized the district’s immigrant and cultural-business history and said residents should be able to continue living in the community they helped build. When asked what led her to run for office, she pointed to her work with the Insulin for All movement and grassroots organizing around a bill led by Nicole Smith-Holt in memory of her son Alex Smith. She also cited her experience in the Wilder Foundation’s Community Equity Project and becoming a mother as motivating her to seek leadership that better reflects Minnesota’s communities and future generations. No formal committee action or vote was taken in this excerpt.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The discussion focused on the candidate’s background in Rochester and her reasons for running for the Minnesota House. She described Rochester as a community with both big-city amenities and a small-town feel, and said she values its diversity, schools, parks, recreation, and close-knit connections. She also explained that her campaign is rooted in a long career as a disability advocate and policy lead at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Her main policy message was that government should “work for everyone” by fully funding core care systems and putting people first in decision-making. She emphasized child care, education, disability care, elder care, and health care as interconnected parts of the economy, arguing that underfunding them pushes people out of the workforce and increases strain on hospitals and public systems. She said effective legislation is needed to create better policy, which was part of what led her to run for office. When asked what she told voters while door-knocking, she said she focused on rebuilding care structures and using the state’s surplus and resources to help Minnesotans thrive. She said voters understood that these issues are interconnected and that supporting care infrastructure benefits families, workers, and the broader economy.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The interview featured a candidate from Dassel, Minnesota, who described her background as a wife, mother of five, and general manager at a family-owned manufacturing company. She said she served six years on the Dassel city council, which gave her experience with government and policy, and also discussed her work with a women’s auxiliary and her husband’s long service as a firefighter. She highlighted founding Let Them Play Minnesota in 2020, a grassroots effort that helped restore kids’ sports and activities during the pandemic and later expanded to support similar efforts in other states. When asked about concerns in her district, she said agriculture is central to the Dassel-Cokato-Hutchinson area and that farmers are worried about regulations and policy. She also said inflation is a major issue, with residents concerned about grocery prices, gas, and overall finances. She emphasized that people in the district want practical solutions to economic pressures. She also described Dassel as a close-knit, low-crime community where people know one another, businesses and schools are strong, and many families stay for generations. She said her family’s manufacturing and dock-and-lift business employs just under 50 people and is part of what makes the town feel stable and connected.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The exchange focused on Rep. Liz Lee of District 67A in St. Paul’s East Side and her priorities after the election. She described the district as one of the poorest in Minnesota and said families need safe, affordable housing, accessible public transportation, and strong schools. She also emphasized that education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Lee said she decided to run because the East Side is home, she grew up there, and she wanted to give back to the community that raised her. She noted that she is a product of Saint Paul public schools and wants schools on the East Side and across the city to be well funded and prepare students for their futures. She also said her parents, who were public servants, taught her resilience, perseverance, and the importance of serving the community. On policy, Lee said she wants to work on “everything” because issues are interconnected. She highlighted housing as a major concern, along with nutrition programs and the broader social safety net, arguing that stable housing and food security support learning and opportunity. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the exchange, which was an interview-style discussion rather than a committee proceeding.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Steve Jacob introduced himself as the District 3 County Commissioner for western Winona County, a farmer near Plainview, and a longtime community volunteer. He said he has served on several local boards and committees, including the Whitewater Joint Powers Board, the Snow and Water Conservation District, the Road and Bridge Committee, the Planning Commission, and the Parks and Environmental Committee. He also described extensive church and charitable volunteer work, and said he entered public office because of concerns about government dysfunction and property rights. Jacob said he ran on a platform of less government and more freedom in a very rural district made up of small towns such as Zumbrota, Pine Island, Plainview, Elgin, Kellogg, and Chatfield. He said constituents were most concerned about high energy prices, inflation, the economy, and government overreach, and that they wanted a government watchdog. He said his background as a farmer and county commissioner helped him win decisively and build trust with voters. He also discussed his family farm, Jacob Hill Farm, which has been in his family since his great-grandparents came from Germany in 1878. He said the farm has evolved over generations from dairy and chickens to corn and beans, and that he also operated a firewood business for 30 years serving southeast Minnesota, the Twin Cities area, and eastern Wisconsin. He noted that the family also owns several rental homes.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The transcript is an interview with Tim Joy, a small business owner from Hawley, Minnesota, who described his background as a longtime local resident, mayor, council member, reserve police officer, and volunteer firefighter. He said those experiences shaped his interest in public service and his decision to run for the House, especially his desire to represent small-town and rural values. Joy emphasized that his priorities in office would include supporting small towns, reducing burdensome regulations, and helping local governments with needs such as roads, funding, and public safety. He said his experience as mayor and in law enforcement gave him insight into what rural communities need, and he pledged to work with and fully fund law enforcement and first responders. He also said voters in his district were most concerned about inflation, taxes, and being taxed out of their homes, especially retirees on Social Security. He described a general desire among constituents for less government involvement in their lives and businesses, and said he wanted to be a voice at the Capitol for rural Minnesota and small businesses.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The transcript is an interview with a newly elected Minnesota House member from Duluth who describes the city as vibrant and culturally significant, especially for Ojibwe people, whom they refer to as Masabi Kong. They say the city is a great place to live, work, and play, but also note major challenges and opportunities, including an affordable housing crisis, climate justice concerns tied to the lake and Ojibwe Sea, and economic development needs such as redevelopment, a stronger property tax base, livable wages, and support for children and elders. The speaker emphasizes that their campaign and legislative priorities are shaped by lived experience with poverty and homelessness, which they say helps build trust with constituents. They also discuss the influence of their grandmother and aunties, describing them as community leaders in housing, education, and equity who taught them to reclaim a seat at the table and to continue trailblazing for future generations. A major theme is the speaker’s identity as the first non-binary, gender-expansive legislator in the House. They say this role carries tremendous responsibility and that it is important for queer people, especially youth, to see representation in public office. They frame their service as life-affirming work for Duluth and Minnesota.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Bobby Harder, a Sibley County commissioner from south of Henderson, said he decided to run for the House after redistricting and open seats created an opportunity, and he won the endorsement. He said his experience as a county commissioner gives him a better understanding of how decisions made in St. Paul affect local governments and residents. Harder described his district as largely rural, with farming and other businesses as major parts of the local economy. He said the main concerns he heard while campaigning were inflation and rising prices, crime, and education, especially as new people move into the area. Looking ahead to the upcoming session, Harder said one of his first priorities would be reducing the Social Security tax burden on elderly people so they can keep more money in their pockets. No votes or formal committee actions were mentioned in the transcript.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The transcript is an interview with Bernie Perryman, who says she lives in Saint Augusta, Minnesota, just outside Saint Cloud, and owns Batteries Plus stores in Saint Cloud and Sauk Rapids. She describes her background in corporate and retail work, including 20 years in the beer industry, and says her decision to run for the House came after years of service on local boards and in chamber of commerce leadership, encouraged by her husband to take a larger role in public service. Perryman describes her district as a diverse central Minnesota area anchored by Saint Cloud State University, CentraCare, a large school district, downtown businesses, and a population that includes African American and Somali residents as well as people of all ages. She says her business experience taught her how to manage budgets, inventory shortages, workforce and salary issues, and fraud prevention, and that those skills translate to balancing state priorities and spending. Asked about issues she wants addressed in the 2023 session, Perryman emphasizes public safety, saying she serves on a “cop house” board and wants more support for police recruitment, training, and respect in the community. She also highlights taxes and inflation, saying she wants to put more money back into residents’ pockets, and specifically says she wants to eliminate the Social Security tax, arguing it could be done without harming other programs.