Building a Safe and
Prosperous Minnesota
-
An Affordable State To Live
With inflation, mortgage rates, and energy prices continuing to rise, Republicans will work to eliminate wasteful government spending so we can deliver permanent tax relief for Minnesota families to help you afford groceries, gas, and other everyday necessities.
-
Safe Communities
Minnesotans deserve to feel safe in their communities. Republicans will hold criminals accountable when they break the law, support our law enforcement, and work to combat the disturbing rise in fentanyl overdose deaths, car thefts, and other violent crime.
-
Strong Schools with High Expectations
Republicans want a great education for every student — no matter their ZIP code — and that starts with putting a focus on reading, writing, math, and science; and restoring high expectations for every student. It’s unacceptable to have nearly half of our students unable to read at grade level. That’s why Republicans will work to promote proven reforms to raise student achievement and ensure parents have a voice in their child’s education.
-
Affordable and Reliable Energy
Rising energy costs are another hidden tax on Minnesota families. Republicans support all-of-the-above energy solutions that will make energy affordable and reliable for families, while embracing new technologies that reduce impacts on the environment.
-
Job Growth across Minnesota
We need robust job growth in communities of all sizes across Minnesota. We need an economy that is good for workers and encourages investment and job growth for businesses. Republicans will work to streamline our complex and burdensome regulations that are stifling job growth and work to make Minnesota a friendlier state to do business.
-
Lisa Demuth District 13AAbout Lisa
Representative Lisa Demuth is the House Republican Leader, and represents Paynesville, Cold Spring, and portions of Stearns County.
Rep. Demuth is a small-business owner and previously was a ROCORI School Board member for 11 years.
In 2022, Demuth was elected be her colleagues to serve as the House Minority Leader. She is the first black lawmaker to serve as a caucus leader, and... Read More
-
Paul Torkelson District 15BAbout Paul
Representative Paul Torkelson is the Deputy Minority Leader and represents all or portions of Brown, Redwood and Blue Earth counties in the southwestern part of Minnesota.
Paul is actively engaged in the operation of his family farm where he raises corn, soybeans and hogs on the farm first established by his great-grandfather in 1878. He is a life-long resident of Minnesota, graduate of... Read More
-
Jim Nash District 48AAbout Jim
Representative Jim Nash is the House Minority Whip and represents western Carver County.
Jim is a small business owner and former Mayor of Waconia. He previously served as City Council Member.
He lives in Waconia with his wife Kim. They have six children.
-
John Burkel District 01AAbout John
Representative John Burkel represents all of Roseau, Kittson, and Marshall Counties as well as the majority of Pennington.
John is a fourth generation turkey producer and has served over 20 years on the board of directors at Northern Pride, Inc, serving as chairman of the board since 2016. He also served on the Minnesota Turkey Growers Board for ten years, including a year as chair.... Read More
-
Debra Kiel District 01BAbout Debra
Representative Deb Kiel represents Polk, Pennington and Red Lake counties in northwestern Minnesota.
Deb was born and raised on the family farm south of Crookston, MN. A graduate of Crookston Public Schools, Deb briefly attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. She has served as Chairwoman of the Crookston Public School Board and is an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in... Read More
-
Matt Grossell District 02AAbout Matt
Representative Matt Grossell represents Lakes of the Woods County, Clearwater County, Hubbard County, and Beltrami County.
Matt lives in Clearbrook, located in Clearwater County. He is a father of three, two of whom are active service or military veterans. He is a U.S. Army veteran himself and a retired Sheriff’s Deputy from Clearwater County.
-
Matt Bliss District 02BAbout Matt
Representative Matt Bliss represents portions of Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard and Itasca counties in north-central Minnesota.
Matt is a married father of four and grandfather of four. He and his wife, Emily, an elementary school teacher, live in Pennington where they own a resort on the Cass Lake chain of lakes. Matt is President of the Pennington Resort Association.
-
Roger Skraba District 03AAbout Roger
Representative Roger Skraba is currently serving his first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He represents House District 3A which includes all or portions of Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis Counties.
Roger is a U.S. Army veteran. Before his election to the Minnesota House, Roger served three terms as the Mayor of Ely and three terms as a city councilor. In... Read More
-
Natalie Zeleznikar District 03BAbout Natalie
Representative Natalie Zeleznikar, first elected in 2022, has worked as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator for more than 30 years. She is also a former small business owner, co-founding and serving as CEO for a nursing home alternative for 10 Northern Minnesota communities. Rep. Zeleznikar currently works part time as an Executive Advisor for a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that... Read More
-
Jim Joy District 04BAbout JimRepresentative Jim Joy represents most of Clay County and the western portion of Becker County. Cities in the district include the northern portion of Moorhead, as well as Detroit Lakes, Dilworth, Hawley, and Barnesville.Joy grew up in Detroit Lakes and now lives with his wife and three kids in Hawley where he serves as Mayor. He is a reserve police officer, and owns... Read MoreKrista Knudsen District 05AAbout Krista
Representative Krista Knudsen represents portions of Cass, Wadena, Hubbard, and Becker Counties in central Minnesota.
The former Mayor of Lake Shore Minnesota and city council member for eight years prior, Krista Knudsen is a great addition to the caucus. She is a small business owner and has been active in the community for seventeen years. She lives in Lake Shore Minnesota with her... Read More
Mike Wiener District 05BAbout MikeRepresentative Mike Wiener is currently serving his first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He represents House District 5B which includes all or portions of Cass, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena Counties.
Mike is a small business owner and lives in Long Prairie with his wife and their 9 children. Before his election to the House, Mike served on the Todd County Planning and... Read More
Ben Davis District 06AAbout BenRepresentative Ben Davis of Mission Township is in his first term representing District 6A. The district includes Grand Rapids in the north, Garrison in the south, and skirts the eastern edge of Brainerd.Davis, a Brainerd pastor, is married to Dawn and they have seven children. He was selected to serve House committees on climate and energy, and children and families... Read MoreJosh Heintzeman District 06BAbout JoshRepresentative Josh Heintzeman represents the western portion of Crow Wing County.
Josh is a small business owner and former member of the Thirty Lakes Water Shed Board. He currently resides in Nisswa, where he's lived since 1991 with his wife Keri and their six children.
Spencer Igo District 07AAbout SpencerRepresentative Spencer Igo is a lifelong resident of Grand Rapids and the Northland. He graduated from GRHS and from there enrolled at the University of North Dakota where he developed a strong commitment to public service.
He enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time in the Northland’s "Great Outdoors".
Tom Murphy District 09BAbout TomRepresentative Tom Murphy represents the east side of Ottertail County and a portion of Douglas County.
Tom grew up on a dairy farm in Scott County, MN with seven siblings. He later received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Mankato State University and spent eight years as a sales representative for an agriculture products company in southwest Minnesota. In 1992, along with his... Read More
Jeff Backer District 09BAbout JeffRepresentative Jeff Backer represents Wilkin, Traverse, Big Stone, Grant, and Stevens counties and portions of Pope and Douglas counties in Western Minnesota.
Jeff grew up in Browns Valley with his parents and identical twin brother, Jay. In 1990, they started their business, BW Inc., in Browns Valley. In 1991, he graduated from St. Cloud State University with two degrees, Chemistry and... Read More
Ron Kresha District 10AAbout RonRepresentative Ron Kresha represents most of Morrison County and the southwest portion of Todd County.
Ron has 12 years experience managing small to medium companies for growth and increased brand awareness. He currently is CEO of Golden Shovel Agency, a rural economic development company that manages the online presence of cities and counties seeking economic growth. Previously he... Read More
Isaac Schultz District 10BAbout IsaacRepresentative Isaac Schultz represents portions of Benton, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Morrison counties.
Representative Shultz is an experienced political mind with his most recent experience includes derving as the District Director for Congressman Pete Stauber from 2018 to 2022. Leading his team in Minnesota and connecting with and serving the 700,000+ constituents from... Read More
Jeff Dotseth District 11AAbout JeffRepresentative Jeff Dotseth lives in Silver Township and serves District 11A, including all of Carlton County, the northern portion of Pine and southern St. Louis.Dotseth, a real estate agent by trade, is married to Melissa and they have three children. He is serving House committees on commerce and housing during his first biennium.Nathan Nelson District 11BAbout NathanRepresentative Nathan Nelson represents Pine and Kanabec County.
Nathan has long been passionate about his community, serving as supervisor on the Clover Township board for the past 9 years and as president of the Pine County Farm Bureau. In his spare time, Nathan enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and making maple syrup.
Nathan, his wife Suzanna, and their... Read More
Paul Anderson District 12AAbout PaulRepresentative Paul Anderson represents portions of Douglas, Pope and Stearns counties in the west central part of Minnesota.
Paul has served as a Pope County commissioner, a member of the Starbuck school board and as a Starbuck Township officer. A fourth-generation farmer, he also has worked in both electronic and print media.
He and his wife, Faith, live on a farm near Starbuck... Read More
Mary Franson District 12BAbout MaryRepresentative Mary Franson represents northeastern Douglas County and eastern Otter Tail County.
Prior to being elected to the legislature, Mary was a licensed childcare provider and small business owner. She graduated from University of Minnesota (Duluth) with a degree in psychology
Mary lives in Alexandria and has three children, Helena, Karl and Kahllin.
Tim O'Driscoll District 13BAbout TimRepresentative Tim O’Driscoll represents portions of Benton and Stearns counties.
Tim works as a professional trainer for Kaplan Professional School and is a community leader for veterans issues, including his involvement with the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon campaign. He served as the mayor of Sartell from 2007-2010 and prior to that he served on Sartell’s City Council.
Tim lives in... Read More
Bernie Perryman District 14AAbout BernieRepresentative Bernie Perryman, a small business owner and longtime Saint Cloud resident, was first elected in 2022. She lives in St. Augusta with her husband Keith. She has served as a board member for the Greater St. Cloud Public Safety Foundation, Chair of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, and Commissioner for the St. Cloud City Economic Development Authority. She was also named a 2019... Read More
Chris Swedzinski District 15AAbout ChrisRepresentative Chris Swedzinski represents House District 16A which covers Lac qui Parle County, Yellow Medicine County, and part of Lyon County in the southwest part of Minnesota.
Chris graduated from Minneota High School and attended Ridgewater College and then Minnesota State University (Mankato), earning degrees in History and Political Science. He worked for U.S. Congressman Mark... Read More
Dean Urdahl District 16AAbout DeanRepresentative Dean Urdahl represents most of Meeker County and portions of McLeod and Wright.
Dean got his start in Republican politics on U.S. Rep. John Zwach's campaign staff in 1970. He has served on the state Board of Nursing, the Commission on Public Service Reform and the Minnesota Education in Agricultural Leadership Council, all gubernatorial appointments. Dean was a teacher... Read More
Dave Baker District 16BAbout DaveRepresentative Dave Baker represents most of Kandiyohi County.
Dave is the owner of Baker Hospitalities, and past-Chairman elect of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is an active member of the Minnesota Restaurant Association, and a former President and Commissioner for the Willmar Municipal Utilities.
Dave and his wife Mary have three children. They co-... Read More
Dawn Gillman District 17AAbout DawnRepresentative Dawn Gillman represents McLeod County and portions of Meeker, Sibley, and Wright Counties.
Representative Gillman is most well-known for her leadership of “Let Them Play Minnesota” that raised nearly $400,000 to get high school sports running again after the 2020 school closures. She brings this experience in grassroots activism to the caucus and is a valuable member in... Read More
Bobbie Harder District 17BAbout BobbieRepresentative Bobbie Harder, first elected in 2022, is a farmer and former Sibley County Commissioner. She lives in Henderson Township with her husband, Neal, and they have one child.
Active in the community, Harder is involved in the Henderson Area Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson Lions Club, Minnesota Farm Bureau, the NRA, and A.B.A.T.E. She also serves as Deputy Clerk of Henderson... Read More
Brian Daniels District 19AAbout BrianRepresentative Brian Daniels represents parts of Dodge County, Steele County, and Rice County.
Brian is a small business owner and former School Board member. He's also volunteered as a youth hockey coach. Brian has been married to his wife, Liz, for more than 37 years. They have four children and six grandchildren.
John Petersburg District 19BAbout JohnRepresentative John Petersburg represents the cities of Waseca and Owatonna, and parts of the surrounding areas.
John is a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, where he has worked as the Church Administrator for the last 15 years. He has worked extensively in education, serving for three terms as a member of the Claremont/Triton School Board, and was elected twice to... Read More
Pam Altendorf District 20AAbout PamRepresentative Pam Altendorf represents portions of Goodhue and Wabasha counties.
Altendorf is a senior vice president of sales/management. She lives in Red Wing with her husband Kevin. They have 5 children.
Steve Jacob District 20BAbout SteveRepresentative Steve Jacob represents portions of Goodhue, Wabasha, Winona, and Olmsted counties.
Steve is married to MaryAnne Mae and they live in Altura. They have 4 children. Prior to serving in the Minnesota House, Steve served as a Winona County Commissioner. Steve is a fourth-generation family farmer and small business owner.
Joe Schomacker District 21AAbout JoeRepresentative Joe Schomacker represents all or parts of Cottonwood, Lincoln, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock Counties.
Joe operates a small business in Luverne. A graduate of Luverne High School, Joe attended Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall where he received degrees in public administration, speech communication, and political science. He earned his Master’s... Read More
Marj Fogelman District 21BAbout MarjRepresentative Marj Fogelman represents all or portions of Nobles, Jackson, Martin, Cottonwood, and Watonwan counties
Marj is a business owner from Fulda. She is married to Michael, and they have two children.
Bjorn Olson District 22AAbout BjornRepresentative Bjorn Olson represents all or portions of Jackson, Martin, Faribault and Watonwan counties in southern Minnesota.
Bjorn is the former Mayor of Elmore. He is a farmer and a history teacher at Blue Earth Middle Schools. Bjorn is also a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve where he serves as Commander of the 150 soldiers that make up the 353rd Transportation Company based out of... Read More
Brian Pfarr District 22BAbout BrianRepresentative Brian Pfarr represents portions of Scott and Le Sueur counties.
Brian is the President of First Farmers & Merchants Bank in Le Sueur with 15 years of experience working with local farms and businesses. He is a 33-year veteran of the Minnesota Army National Guard where he currently commands a brigade of more than 1800 troops.
He lives with his wife, Kristan, and... Read More
Peggy Bennett District 23AAbout PeggyRepresentative Peggy Bennett represents most of Freeborn County.
Peggy works as a teacher, having taught in Wells and Albert Lea since 1981. She's active in her church and community, serving as a volunteer working with disadvantaged youth.
Patricia Mueller District 23BAbout PatriciaRepresentative Patricia Mueller represents nearly all of Mower County and portions of Dodge and Freeborn counties in southern Minnesota.
Patricia has been a teacher for nearly two decades, teaching in Austin Public schools since 2016. She is pursuing her Doctorate Degree in Education Leadership after graduating from University of Minnesota, Moorhead with her master's degree in... Read More
Duane Quam District 24AAbout DuaneRepresentative Duane Quam represents part of Rochester and the communities of Byron, Mantorville, Kasson and other areas northwest of Rochester.
Duane was born in Rochester and was raised on farms in Olmsted and Dodge Counties. He graduated from Byron High School and earned a degree in Engineering with a Masters Degree in Physics. Before serving in the legislature, Duane served on the... Read More
Greg Davids District 26BAbout GregRepresentative Greg Davids represents Houston and Fillmore counties.
A graduate of Spring Valley High School, Greg went on to obtain a social science degree from Winona State University. He is a former teacher and mayor of Preston. He currently owns an insurance agency and a farm in Fillmore County.
Greg and his wife, Bonnie, live in Preston. They have three adult children.
Shane Mekeland District 27AAbout ShaneRepresentative Shane Mekeland represents all or portions of Sherburne, Wright, Benton, and Morrison Counties.
He previously owned a small business and now works as a building contractor. During his time in St. Paul, Mekeland has focused his efforts on reducing the size of government and improving the business climate in Minnesota.
Shane lives in Clear Lake and has a daughter. ... Read More
Kurt Daudt District 27BAbout KurtRepesentative Kurt Daudt represents parts of Isanti, Anoka and Sherburne counties.
Kurt served 6 years as an Isanti County Commissioner and was a Stanford Town Board Supervisor from 1999-2005. When he is not working for the taxpayers in St. Paul, he can be found working on Project 24, a non-profit organization he helped found that builds orphanages in Kenya.
Kurt resides on the... Read More
Brian Johnson District 28AAbout BrianRepresentative Brian Johnson represents part of Isanti and Chisago Counties.
Brian grew up on his family’s dairy farm and graduated from Cambridge-Isanti High School. He spent 26 years in law enforcement and 17 of those years as a deputy with the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office. Brian was also a volunteer firefighter.
Brian and his wife, Diane, live in Cambridge. They have a... Read More
Anne Neu Brindley District 28BAbout AnneRepresentative Anne Neu Brindley represents most of Chisago County.
She is an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts and has served on the North Branch Planning Commission. She has also served as Vice President of Minnesota Excellence in Public Service Series, which provides leadership training to conservative women so they can fulfill leadership roles in their careers, communities and... Read More
Joe McDonald District 29AAbout JoeRepresentative Joe McDonald represents Wright County and a western portion of Hennepin County.
Joe served as a school board member, city councilman and mayor in Delano prior to being elected to the Minnesota House. His father, the late K.J. McDonald, served seven terms in the House (1977-1991). He has an extensive photography background and operates a studio in Delano.
Joe and... Read More
Marion Rarick District 29BAbout MarionRepresentative Marion Rarick represents the northeastern part of Wright County consisting of Buffalo, Buffalo Township, Maple Lake, Maple Lake Township, Monticello, Monticello Township, and Silver Creek Township.
Marion and her husband own and operate a tiling and installation construction company in Buffalo. She also has experience in the non-profit world having previously served as... Read More
Walter Hudson District 30AAbout WalterRepresentative Walter Hudson is an Albertville resident and represents District 30A in northeastern Wright County. The district encompasses Hanover, St. Michael, Albertville, and most of Otsego.Hudson previously served the Albertville City Council. He works as an operations manager for a logistics company and is married with two children. Hudson serves House... Read MorePaul Novotny District 30BAbout PaulRepresentative Paul Novotny represents the cities of Elk River, Big Lake, Big Lake Township, and Otsego.
Paul retired from his 33+ year career in Law Enforcement on May 28th, 2020. During his career Novotny served in many different assignments including Patrol Sergeant, Investigative Sergeant and Firearms Instructor for the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office. He has been involved in... Read More
Harry Niska District 31AAbout HarryRepresentative Harry Niska resides in Ramsey and serves District 31A, which includes the cities of Andover and Ramsey.Niska, an attorney, is married to Jennifer and they have three children. He has been selected to serve House committees related to commerce and judiciary for the new biennium.Peggy Scott District 31BAbout PeggyRepresentative Peggy Scott represents the communities of Andover, Coon Rapids and Ramsey.
In addition to previously owning and operating a real estate investment company with her husband, Peggy has been active in her community. She has served as the Andover Parks and Recreation Commissioner, and coached youth soccer and basketball.
Peggy and her husband, David, live in Andover... Read More
Nolan West District 32AAbout NolanRepresentative Nolan West represents Blaine.
Nolan is a life-long resident of Blaine, and a graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in History and a Political Science minor.
When Nolan grew up in Blaine, the town was all sod fields, and Radisson was a two-lane country road. Now Blaine is a thriving city Nolan is proud to be a part of.
Patti Anderson District 33AAbout PattiRepresentative Patti Anderson represents Hugo, Forest Lake, and the greater Mahtomedi and Dellwood area.
Patti grew up in Forest Lake and is a proud graduate of Forest Lake High School. Patti and her husband, Doug, have lived in Dellwood for the last 14 years. Three of their children graduated from Mahtomedi High School.
Patti has had a long career both inside and outside the... Read More
Danny Nadeau District 34AAbout DannyRepresentative Danny Nadeau is currently serving his first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He represents House District 34A which includes the cities of Rogers, Dayton, and a portion of Champlin.
Danny was the long-time top assistant to Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson and continues to be employed by Hennepin County. Before his work in local government, Danny... Read More
Elliott Engen District 36AAbout ElliottRepresentative Elliott Engen represents White Bear Township, North Oaks, Lino Lakes, Centerville, and Circle Pines.
Elliott Engen was born and raised in White Bear Lake. He attended White Bear Lake Area schools where he would meet his wife, Faith. While at White Bear High, Engen was a student-athlete, participated in student-led Christian organizations, and led extensive... Read MoreKristin Robbins District 37AAbout KristinRepresentative Kristin Robbins represents the communities of Rogers and Maple Grove.
Kristin is the Executive Director of the Economic Club of Minnesota, a non-profit focused on strengthening Minnesota’s economic competitiveness, which she has led since its founding in 2008. She is an active member of New Hope Church, where she serves on the board of HopeBridge food shelf. She was a... Read More
Mark Wiens District 41AAbout MarkRepresentative Mark Wiens represents Afton, Baytown Township, Denmark Township, Grant, Lake Elmo, Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, St. Mary’s Point, West Lakeland Township, and northern Cottage Grove.Wiens is a U.S. Army Veteran with 30 years of service, multiple deployments and combat tours with experience leading diverse executive level teams in the... Read MoreShane Hudella District 41BAbout ShaneRepresentative Shane Hudella represents the cities of Hastings and Cottage Grove and the surrounding areas in the Minnesota House.
Born in Hastings, Shane proudly served his country in the U.S. Army National Guard for 24 years. He founded a non-profit organization dedicated to helping military families participate in hockey. Shane and his wife Jessica have four sons and live in Hastings... Read More
Andrew Myers District 45AAbout AndrewRepresentative Andrew Myers is currently serving his first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Andrew represents House District 45A which includes the western side of Lake Minnetonka.
Andrew is an attorney, small business owner, and lives in Tonka Bay with his wife and four children. He has long been involved in the community, first as a volunteer on the Minnetonka Beach... Read More
Ben Bakeberg District 54BAbout BenRepresentative Ben Bakeberg represents Prior Lake, Jordan, Jackson Township, Louisville Township, Sand Creek Township, Spring Lake Township, and a portion of Shakopee.
He has spent his career in both public and private education. Ben has experience as a custodian, paraprofessional, teacher, coach, assistant principal, and he currently serves as a building principal.
Ben is a... Read More
Jon Koznick District 57AAbout JonRepresentative Jon Koznick represents Lakeville.
Jon is a former small businessowner of a mortgage company in downtown Lakeville, and currently works at Provincial Bank Mortgage. In the community, Jon is a member of the Lakeville Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the board of the Downtown Lakeville Business Association. Jon is a member of All Saints Church in Lakeville.
Jon... Read More
Jeff Witte District 57BAbout JeffRepresentative Jeff Witte, a retired police officer, was first elected to represent District 57B in 2022. He served 27 years as a police officer in Burnsville and as a School Resource Officer, and spent three terms on the Lakeville Planning Commission before his election to the State House. Rep. Witte serves on the Public Safety Finance and Policy committee and the Taxes committee.
Rep... Read More
Pat Garofalo District 58BAbout PatRepresentative Pat Garofalo Farmington and the surrounding area in southeast Dakota County, as well as the northwest portion of Goodhue County.
Pat is a lifelong resident of the area having grown up in Lakeville, graduating from Rosemount High School in 1989 and Mankato State University in 1994. He is a consultant working as a network and voice engineer.
Pat and his wife, Julie... Read More
House Republican Campaign Committee
PO Box 17400, St. Paul, MN 55117
Phone: 651-225-8586 | Fax: 651-225-8606
PREPARED AND PAID FOR BY THE HRCC
525 PARK STREET SUITE 245 St. PAUL, MN 55103
Connect with MNHRCC
Reply
Favorite
Retweet
MNHRCC on Facebook