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DFL candidates speak out

CD7 fundraiser brings large slate of DFL candidates

By Deb Gau 6 min read

HANLEY FALLS -- With less than a month before Election Day, Democrats were urging Minnesotans to stay active in campaign efforts, and to focus on bringing people together.

"We could spend the next 23 days arguing about our differences, or we could spend the next 23 days focused on our common concerns," said DFL candidate Erik Osberg, who is running against U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach in Minnesota's Seventh Congressional District.

Osberg and other candidates who spoke at a DFL fundraiser near Hanley Falls said some of those unifying concerns included rising costs, rural health care, housing and education.

Democratic candidates for Minnesota state and U.S. Congressional offices spoke at the Congressional District 7 DFL's annual fall fundraiser held at the Tim Velde farm near Hanley Falls. The slate of speakers included area legislative candidates, Minnesota State Auditor candidate Zack Filipovich, and Lieutenant Governor candidate Ben Schierer.

Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy also spoke during the fundraiser. Murphy said Minnesota is facing an unusual election, with DFL candidates running for every open state legislative seat.

"It's never happened before, but it happened this time, because Minnesotans are fed up," she said.

"We are on the cusp of, we all know, an incredibly consequential election for our communities, for Minnesota and for America," Murphy told the audience.

She said this November's elections would set the course not only for local legislative districts, or for determining which party has majorities in the state Legislature.

"It's going to set the course for this country," she said.

"We know that this President is going to use anything to try and deter us from staying away from the polls and not voting, or disrupting the election after it happens. And we have to vote in big numbers," Murphy said.

Filipovich said the Minnesota state auditor race between him and Republican candidate Scott Jensen was going to be a close one. He also criticized comments by Jensen during an August debate that the state auditor was "getting hung up" on numbers.

"The state auditor's office is a serious position. It oversees $56 billion of local government spending and taxes," Filipovich said.

He said his experience in public accounting would be important for that job.

"I actually have adhered to GAS, or governmental auditing standards, and I think that's a very good thing to know to make sure that our tax dollars are going to the right places on the local level," he said.

Issues like rural health care and education were among the priorities of candidates who spoke Saturday. Rusty Nelson, who is running in Minnesota House District 21A, said he was concerned about the impact of cuts to Medicaid on rural Minnesotans.

"The Medicaid cuts coming in January are going to really, really hurt our health care systems and our nursing homes," Nelson said. "A 5% or 10% cut to nursing homes is meaning, they are going to go through all their assets until they close. That can't happen."

Nelson said he wanted to be a voice for rural health care, and for funding emergency services.

Caitlyn Sanow-Minett, who is running for Minnesota Senate in SD 21, said it was the future of trauma care providers like Hennepin County Medical Center that made her want to run for office.

"My brother had an accident when I was younger, and if it wasn't for HCMC, I wouldn't have a brother today," she said. "When we talk about those larger medical care systems, people don’t think about us in rural Minnesota, but without it, we can't survive."

Sanow-Minett said that, while HCMC was saved, she still wanted to be a voice speaking up for rural needs.

"Too often, it just gets kind of buried amongst all the Republican and Democratic talking points, that we are real people. Our issues are real," she said.

Dave Torgelson, who is running in Minnesota House District 16A, said health insurance was another issue he wanted to fight for.

"The feds are no longer subsidizing insurance for self-employed people," Torgelson said. "That would be an important priority."

Sanow-Minett encouraged voters to be active, and to ask questions of local candidates. For example, she said, "If they say something like, we need to get rid of unfunded mandates . . . ask them, which ones?"

"Ask the questions. Show up. Be active," she said.

Speakers also urged Minnesota Democrats to keep up their campaign efforts, as Election Day approaches. Nathan Schmig, who is running in Minnesota House District 15A, said he would not be where he was without the support of many active people in the are DFL. He also highlighted the number of DFL candidates this year.

"We have some incredible people running for office," Schmig said.

Schierer also spoke to DFL supporters about how to connect with voters in red areas of Minnesota.

"People often ask, how do you do that? How do we win back these voters?" he said. "You do so by relentlessly focusing on delivering for people."

"You have to pay attention and take action on things that bring us together, instead of focusing on what tears us apart," Schierer said.

"Together we’re gonna make life more affordable for people. We’re going to make government work, and yes, get rid of the fraud," he said. "We’re going to expand our economy and create jobs across the state. We’re going to take on rising health care costs." Schierer promised to match governor candidate Amy Klobuchar's level of commitment to work for Minnesota.

Osberg said he had a five-point plan of priorities as a congressional candidate.

"Number one is, defend the Constitution," he said.

Osberg said the plan also included getting corporate money out of politics, creating "a level playing field" for family farms, fixing the health care system, and protecting federal funding for public education.

Osberg said he was also preparing for a televised debate with Fischbach on Thursday.

"We've been prepping. We've been doing our homework," Osberg said. "We're not going to let that opportunity go by without holding her accountable for the actions, or lack thereof, that she's done for the last six years."

Starting at /week.