MARSHALL — In speaking with Marshall area businesspeople, Dave Hughes said he’s a political outsider.

He’s never held a public office, but he didn’t see that as a bad thing. Instead, Hughes, the Republican candidate running against Rep. Collin Peterson in Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District, said he hoped he will be “a breath of fresh air” for the district.

“I’m running for Congress, not because I think Collin Peterson is a bad person,” Hughes said, but because he wasn’t the best representative for western Minnesota. “This is a very conservative, very Republican district.”

What voters needed, he said, is for a legislator “to do their job of representing the district, in context of what’s best for the country.” Peterson’s focus as a congressman was too narrow, Hughes said.

Hughes said he would look at big-picture issues, like working to cut government spending and reduce the national debt. The U.S. needs to get a handle on spending, he said. “I don’t see much progress on that at the moment.”

“I think both sides of the aisle have been getting things wrong” when it comes to debt and deficits, Hughes told local businesspeople. He didn’t believe the federal government could stimulate the economy through spending.

Hughes is an Air Force veteran, and a resident of Karlstad. This isn’t his first time running for Congress in District 7 — he also ran against Peterson in 2016.

Hughes had a full schedule during a visit to Marshall on Friday, meeting with members of the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce, the Independent, and students at Southwest Minnesota State University. Hughes said he had also met with a group of area child care providers in Balaton on Thursday.

Chamber members voiced concerns on a number of issues when they spoke with Hughes, including funding for transportation infrastructure, and the rising costs of health insurance.

While Hughes said he didn’t have detailed solutions for transportation funding, he said, “I would certainly agree greater Minnesota is being neglected.”

Hughes said he would also like to dig deeper into healthcare reform. Among other measures, he thought Congress should allow a more competitive insurance market to help reduce costs, by allowing insurance from across state lines.

Hughes said he was also in favor of immigration reform. While immigration is important for the country, he said, “It has to be orderly, and it has to be rational.” Hughes said “chain migration” wasn’t rational. The U.S.’ diversity visa lottery program also needed to end, he said.

In campaigning across western Minnesota, Hughes said he’s heard plenty of concerns from voters about agriculture and manufacturing. Manufacturers and farmers are especially concerned about tariffs affecting agricultural products and steel, he said.

The goal of President Trump’s actions on trade, and the situation with the tariffs, is to gain leverage in the short term that will produce good results in the long run, Hughes said.

“The caveat is — and I agree — it needs to be short-term,” Hughes said. “I’m confident (Trump) understands that.”

Hughes said he plans to travel to Washington, D.C., this week, and he hopes to get more insight on the subject. Hughes said he also hopes President Trump will agree to hold a rally in western Minnesota.