To the editor:

Have you heard the news? I am running for Minnesota State Senate, District 15.

I am running because the current state of affairs is unacceptable. The inability of our legislators to compromise or find solutions has resulted in the Minnesota Legislature’s failure to pass a bonding bill or an omnibus tax bill. This leaves Marshall and other communities in the lurch, as funding requests are left unresolved. This is ridiculous.

I am running because I am a connector who can bridge the divide. I can negotiate with people to find solutions because I understand both sides. I am a farm kid who has lived in the “big city” and returned to her rural roots. I can bridge the divide between urban and rural. For most of my life I voted Republican, but I am now a Democrat. I understand the worldview of each party, and I can bridge the divide between them.

I am running because I listen. I ask a lot of questions. I don’t pretend to have all the answers. Modern problems are complex, and I seek the advice of people who know more than I do. On a proposed bill involving the agriculture industry, I would talk to farmers in my district to solicit their opinions. A proposed bill about healthcare? I would call a meeting of medical professionals to discuss the pros and cons. Proposed legislation on education would find me consulting with local teachers and administrators to see how it would impact our schools. I am always wary of people who claim to have all the answers. I am also wary of people who already have their minds made up on all the issues–it suggests that they are not open to new evidence and are unwilling to change their minds. It seems to me that they are not really representing their constituents, they are just representing themselves.

We can keep electing the same people into office, but that doesn’t solve the problem. There’s a saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Electing the same legislators over and over again and expecting different results (like a functioning legislature) seems like insanity.

You may not have voted Democrat before. You may not have even considered it. But if there ever was a time for change, this is the time. It’s time to vote for Anita Gaul.

Anita Gaul

Marshall