Who's running for the MN Legislature in 2022? Here is a guide to the Rochester area candidates.
The latest census has resulted in a reshuffling of legislative seats in the Rochester area and across Minnesota. Below are previews of races for the two local state senate and three state house seats on the ballot this year.
Click this link to view the updated maps of the state’s legislative districts.
MN Senate 25
Ken Navitsky (R)
Sales executive
Liz Boldon (DFL)
Registered nurse, current MN State House rep for District 25B
I am running for office this cycle because …
Navitsky: Poor decision making has hurt everyday families. We can do much better with some common sense representation.
Boldon: I am committed to continue the work to build a just and inclusive Minnesota where everyone has what they need to be cared for, safe and thrive. I believe in what is possible when we work together - ensuring everyone has access to affordable healthcare and childcare, taking bold action on the climate crisis, protecting democracy and reproductive freedoms, ensuring every Minnesota child gets a world-class education and all the opportunities that brings.
I believe this election is about …
Navitsky: Our future, how much control we want to give to the government, and our need for fair taxation and safe streets.
Boldon: A clear choice between those of us who are seeking solutions and have a vision of what we can do to help all Minnesotans thrive and others who seek to sow fear and division and take us backwards. The stakes of this election are very high - reproductive freedom, action on gun violence, protecting democracy, action on the climate crisis - all of these are on the ballot. We have a choice between inclusivity and extremism.
Under Gov. Tim Walz, the state has …
Navitsky: Sadly become a much more expensive and less safe place.
Boldon: Navigated very difficult circumstances successfully. As a healthcare professional, I appreciate his leadership and evidence-based decision making related to Covid-19. We are currently experiencing the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded. He and Lt. Gov. Flanagan recently revealed a framework for bold action on climate, energy and environment that would again make Minnesota a leader on this front. I'm grateful for the leadership of the Walz/Flanagan administration over the last several years and appreciate their work to move Minnesota forward.
Abortion is an issue that …
Navitsky: Is legal under Minnesota state law, and should be a very important topic of discussion as it covers a wide spectrum of people and is by no means a "one size fits all proposition.” The Pro Choice community has great differences on this topic, and this should be a focus on anyone asking for a position on where life begins and when taking that life becomes unacceptable.
Boldon: I'm hearing about from many constituents. People are angry and scared, and rightfully so as we are seeing GOP attempts to take women's rights to bodily autonomy away. Decisions about healthcare should be between providers and patients - not politicians. Restricting and criminalizing abortion will not stop abortion, but it will make care less safe and women will die. We cannot let this happen in Minnesota; I will always work to protect reproductive freedoms.
One issue facing our region I would work to address is …
Navitsky: Taxation. We are overburdened by the big eyes of our local and state government. This in addition to the ever over burdening of our small businesses needs to be addressed.
Boldon: Childcare and early learning. As a member of the House Early Childhood committee, Great Start Taskforce, and a mom of 3, this is an issue I care deeply about and have been working on in the House. Our current childcare system isn't working and is unsustainable. It's incredibly expensive, yet those doing this critical work are often not paid a living wage and don't have benefits. We know investments in early care and learning pay dividends for generations to come.
MN Senate 26
Aleta Borrud (DFL)
Retired physician
Carla Nelson (R)
State senator since 2010, small business owner
I am running for office this cycle because …
Borrud: This District needs a senator who will compromise, putting politics aside to address the shortage of affordable housing and childcare, fund public schools and infrastructure needs, and raise reimbursement rates for our care providers. You deserve a senator who supports urgent climate action, will be steadfast defending our rights, including your right to decide if and when to start a family, and the rights of our LGBTQ+ neighbors. I will be that senator.
Nelson: I want to continue to find realistic solutions to challenging problems we face. I am a committed servant and proven leader with a long track record of working across the aisle to get things done. My focus has been and would be: empowering every Minnesotan; driving economic growth; education excellence and equity for all; public safety in our neighborhoods, streets and schools; support for high quality, affordable, accessible healthcare, infrastructure and common sense environmental protections.
I believe this election is about …
Borrud: Values. Do we value the strength diversity brings and will work to ensure everyone has economic security? Disparities in wealth and opportunity, whether it is by zip code, race, or gender, undermine community, our sense of collective purpose, and the economic potential of our region. Do we still trust in the collective We, that government is us, and see a responsibility to uphold what binds us together and respect the results of elections?
Nelson: Helping all Minnesotans deal with the dual challenges of the significant residual impact of the pandemic, especially on our students, while also positioning Minnesotans to manage the increasingly difficult economic reality of high inflation, rising interest rates, historic levels of worker shortage and rising cost of living. I also believe this election must focus on the silent but significant impact the pandemic has had on mental health, especially of our students, and frightening increases in addiction.
Under Gov. Tim Walz, the state has …
Borrud: One of the most robust economies in the United States, with rising wages and low unemployment. He steered us through the worst of the pandemic with lower deaths than surrounding states. This administration is working to lift all boats and has a vision to address healthcare costs, bolster our care economy, and has put forward a new climate action plan to ensure our lowest income families will benefit from reduced energy costs.
Nelson: Experienced many challenges - from the pandemic, to the unprecedented civil unrest, to significant increases in crime. I regret that at times he overreached through continued executive powers. I support judicious use of executive powers in a crisis but the Governor’s extensive and prolonged use of executive powers and overriding the judgment of local authorities was ill advised. I fear we will see the impact of prolonged school, business and church closures for years to come.
Abortion is an issue that …
Borrud: Is deeply personal, a decision to be left to families, in consultation with doctors and faith leaders. As a doctor, I believe it is dangerous for politicians to restrict access to a potentially life-saving procedure. Banning abortion, which Minnesota’s Republican leaders have long said is their goal, will push women back to a period in which they no longer have the right to determine the course of their lives. I trust women with this decision.
Nelson: An issue protected by Minnesota Supreme Court’s 1995 Doe vs. Gomez ruling: “We can think of few decisions more intimate, personal, and profound than a [Minnesotan’s] decision between childbirth and abortion...We therefore conclude that the right of privacy under the Minnesota Constitution encompasses a woman’s right to decide to terminate her pregnancy.” Any new law to the contrary would immediately be petitioned to our Supreme court whose membership will undoubtedly uphold Doe vs. Gomez.
One issue facing our region I would work to address is …
Borrud: The affordable housing shortage. The wage required to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the Rochester area is the second highest in Minnesota at twice the minimum wage for full time work. Families, especially our New American and Black neighbors, struggle to buy a first home, losing out on an opportunity to build wealth. This shortage holds back our area economic development. We need state funding in collaboration with private developers to solve this crisis.
Nelson: Continuing my work to provide tax relief to all Minnesotans. As tax Chair I worked collaboratively with the DFL House Tax Chair and forged $4B of tax relief that lowered income tax rates for all; removed the double taxation on social security benefits; provided property tax relief to homeowners, renters and small businesses; tax credits to help parents afford childcare, dependent care and the historic structure tax credit and new markets tax credit.
MN House 24B
Katrina Pulham (R)
Small business owner
Tina Liebling (DFL)
MN House rep since 2004, attorney
I am running for office this cycle because …
Pulham: We need to start working together. As a community, we do not move forward and we cannot accomplish anything for your community if we are not willing to have open doors for all people. We can disagree on issues and that is 100 percent OK, but we need to come back to respecting one another and finding common ground and focusing on issues that help our community.
Liebling: There is so much at stake for our state and our democracy. There will be a lot of turnover in St Paul this year, with many new members in the House and Senate, so my experience and knowledge are needed more than ever as we tackle many complex challenges.
I believe this election is about …
Pulham: Coming together and getting things done. These last two years have been interesting to say the least and so difficult for so many. I am running because it’s time to stop… think about what worked and what is not or has not been working and try to make good common-sense decisions to move forward. I want to listen to our community and do the best I can to help the people and our economy thrive.
Liebling: Whether our state uses its resources to improve the lives of all our residents, or becomes more like the states where the wealthy pay low taxes and quality of life is poor for many others. It is also about democracy, as lies from election deniers continue to undermine trust in our elections and divide our state.
Under Gov. Tim Walz, the state has …
Pulham: Unfortunately, as a small business owner, I would say has become a state that I don’t recognize. I do believe a lot of poor decisions have been made in the last 2 years that I can’t seem to understand.
Liebling: Survived the worst of the pandemic better than most, with fewer deaths and less overall impact to our economy. Now we need to invest the state’s resources to help struggling Minnesotans stay afloat, get our kids’ education back on track, improve our infrastructure to address the climate crisis, and build up our public health preparedness.
Abortion is an issue that …
Pulham: Is incredibly personal to a lot of people. It’s an issue that some want to use to divide us and I don’t believe it should be.
Liebling: Is definitely on the ballot this year. Women who are not allowed to make their own reproductive decisions lose control over the direction of their lives. The Republican Party has fought for years to roll back our rights—including here in Minnesota—and we must stand up to them. Protecting reproductive choice will also impact our future economy because young people will move to Minnesota seeking the freedom to make their own decisions regarding their personal sexual and reproductive choices.
One issue facing our region I would work to address is …
Pulham: Our mental health issues, especially addressing the issue with our youth and young adults. We have to find a way to offer resources to our schools and talk about it as a community to do whatever we can to help our children. Also, our long-term care facilities are struggling and we need to make sure that our grandparents and the elderly community are taken care of and have the quality care that they deserve.
Liebling: Improving access to affordable health, including dental care and prescription drugs. Even for those with insurance, out of pocket costs prevent Minnesotans from getting the care they need. I will always stand up to the insurance and drug industries on behalf of patients, doctors, nurses, and other caregivers.
MN House 25A
Kim Hicks (DFL)
Autism policy lead for the state of Minnesota
Wendy Phillips (R)
Real estate agent
I am running for office this cycle because …
Hicks: I want to build a better Minnesota for our kids and working families. We have much more in common than our political climate would make you think. My depth and breadth of life and career experience will help me to properly represent our district. I will be a responsible, respectful, and effective voice for 25A.
Phillips: After my family moved back here to my husband’s family home, I realized Minnesota is only a couple of steps behind California’s far-left radical agenda. With first-hand knowledge of the destruction caused in California due to leftist ideology, I chose to adjust my personal plans and redirect my energy into setting a course of corrections in government that will benefit Minnesotans for generations to come.
I believe this election is about …
Hicks: Investing in Minnesota. We need to ensure that hard-working Minnesotans, families, and small businesses can thrive. Our community is growing and changing, and I will work to ensure that we continue to put people first. We need to address the high costs of childcare, healthcare, college, and housing. We also need to make sure that our students are set up to succeed with the resources they need.
Phillips: Restoring the Founding Fathers vision for our Constitutional Republic. The founding documents established a minimum of functions for our government, essentially limiting government by putting it in a box. But our government has jumped out of that box and, to date, there have been thousands of functions added to government with zero consideration for “We the People.” It’s time to put government back in the box and return it to its original functions.
Under Gov. Tim Walz, the state has …
Hicks: Saw him prioritizing Minnesotan’s health and safety. He did the best he could in an impossible situation. As the pandemic raged on, however, we saw the impacts of those choices on our small businesses, our children, and our communities. Hindsight is always 20/20, but if we always put people before politics, we can be confident in the decisions we make.
Phillips: Suffered. Due to his far-left radical policies, a portion of Minneapolis was burned to the ground and to this day resembles a war zone; crime is up in our state and Minneapolis has the distinction of being #1 in the nation in carjackings. Walz’s Covid policies and prolonged school closures have resulted in student test scores dropping even further; lockdowns closed many small businesses across the state, never to reopen. Minnesotans are hurting because of Walz’ far-left radical policies.
Abortion is an issue that …
Hicks: Healthcare. As someone who experienced a life-threatening ectopic pregancy, my views on abortion have changed dramatically. I now understand that politicians should not be in the exam room with patients and doctors. Access to care is life and death. Healthcare decisions are extremely personal and should be respected as such. I will fight to ensure that politicians stay out of personal healthcare decisions.
Phillips: Is in the hands of the Minnesota Supreme Court. The only way that issue would change would be if the Court overturned its 1995 ruling on Doe vs Gomez, which made abortion legal in our state. But with the Justices that currently sit on the bench (five liberal, one centrist, and one conservative), the overturning of that decision is highly unlikely. Due to these facts, abortion is not an issue for the Minnesota legislature at this time.
One issue facing our region I would work to address is …
Hicks: The lack of comprehensive mental health services for adults and children, particularly those with co-existing conditions such as substance use, autism, developmental disabilities and complex health needs. In MedCity, we are not meeting the needs of our neighbors and seeing the consequences throughout our schools, healthcare institutions, and our community. I understand the holes in the systems and have real solutions to plug them.
Phillips: The state government’s ongoing theft from our wallets. I propose the following to help the wallets of Minnesota families: A. Return the multi-billion dollar surplus that taxpayers overpaid B. Reduce state income tax to avoid another tax surplus C. Stop taxing social security income for seniors D. Stop inheritance tax that steals family farms from surviving family members E. top the 28.5 cent gas tax.
MN House 25B
Andy Smith (DFL)
Small business owner
John Robinson (R)
Electronics design consultant
I am running for office this cycle because …
Smith: I love the Rochester community and the state of Minnesota, and want to steer these places I love into a vibrant future where all are given the tools to thrive and live the life they choose.
Robinson: I believe that we are headed for some extremely difficult times financially. Specifically, the dual weight of high taxes combined with the weight of supply chain disruptions, inflation, and general strain on our overall economy is causing increasing stress across the board in society where we have a government which is further and further polarized and engaging in distractions which honestly don't help common Minnesotans.
I believe this election is about …
Smith: A choice between competition or community; do we live in a future promoted by a MAGA republican party where we make enemies of each other and label our fellow Minnesotans as winners or losers; or do we strive for the future I promote, where we band together as a community and make sure each person is given the dignity they deserve, and tools to thrive in their chosen life.
Robinson: Determining the future of the fundamental relationship between the government and the governed. Historically we can look back and we find other societies where harder and harder line mandates were the primary form of government control and action. This causes extensive lack of trust which by its very nature fosters conspiracy theories and general distrust of government and society.
Under Gov. Tim Walz, the state has …
Smith: Been guided through some of the hardest times we’ve seen, including an unprecedented pandemic and the largest social justice mobilization in human history. I’m proud to be voting to re-elect Gov. Walz and his strong leadership.
Robinson: Decided that it is its responsibility to determine the "value and necessity of your business," "determined that Minnesotans need to follow a one size fits all series of mandates regarding business closures, church closures, and masks mandates; additionally, Mr. Waltz has pushed executive orders to instigate regulations through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency binding Minnesota to the higher standards set by the California CARB standards including additional cost in gasoline and additional cost for newer vehicles.
Abortion is an issue that …
Smith: Is on the ballot this November. I am for expanding abortion access in the state of MN and have struggled personally with this issue. I encourage voters to read my article about my journey and why I changed my mind on this issue.
Robinson: Polarizes many to jerk in a certain direction. I believe that the DFL led state don't want people thinking about everyday issues like cost of living and food prices. I also have concerns as to the large amounts of money coming from outside of this state pushing on this singular issue to try and control the politics of the state of Minnesota for their own personal agenda. With that said, I am pro-life as is stated in the constitution.
One issue facing our region I would work to address is …
Smith: Healthcare access. Time and time again, from small business owners to career professionals to stay at home parents to retirees, the abuses of for-profit insurance companies are devastating to Minnesotans. We need a system where all Minnesotans have quality healthcare by the providers they choose, affordable prescriptions, and access to wider care such as dental, vision, and mental health resources regardless of their employment status.
Robinson: I would like to engage the first responder communities with information and best practices obtained from the research into PTSD by the U.S. Military. Violence causes significant issues with suicide among other issues with our veterans. Research done through the defense department has shown that the issues can be greatly reduced in soldiers dealing with the violence of combat through relatively reasonable best practices now taught throughout military commands.
Note: Candidates were asked to limit written responses to approximately 75 words. Minor edits were made for clarity.
