RUSHFORD, Minn. — Expect to see Jack Hedin tooling around southeast Minnesota a lot in coming weeks but no longer in his signature old blue-gray Toyota pickup. The Rushford organic farmer won the Senate District 26 endorsement at a convention of 200 Democrats over the weekend. Although the Toyota has been his calling card as he campaigned for the endorsement. he’s replacing it soon. Even so, speaking at the endorsement convention, he made the 2023 Toyota a metaphor for his candidacy: “Not stylish maybe, but it is mechanically sound. I like to think this is how I am as a candidate.” Hedin, age 59, will be the Democrat on the August primary ballot to succeed Senator Jeremy Miller of Winona, a Republican. Miller is retiring. Hedin, who lives in Winona but farms near Rushford, defeated Michael Todd of Goodview 69% to 30% at the endorsing convention of 200 District 26 Democrats at Rushford High School. In a preliminary vote, two other candidates were eliminated: Lynn Carlson, of Winona and Jon Pieper of Lanesboro. The three defeated candidates all agreed to leave Hedin unchallenged in the August primary.
Hedin. Platform is support for public education and hometown and local businesses, speaking truth to power, not blindly following the party line.
Senate District 26
Has 85,000 people, as does every Minnesota Senate district. Includes most of Winona County, all of Fillmore and Houston counties, and a silver of Mower County.
Goodbye, ol’ ye faithful Toyota
Hedin relied for years on an aging Toyota for heavy farm use. Last fall the transfer case locked up. Over the winter he did a complete rebuild, from flywheel to rear differential plus frame and suspension work and new brakes and tires. There were no dollars left for cosmetics, he said. But he “kept on truckin,’”, as they say, with the original tin, cracked windshield, original carpet and a seat still in place. But not much longer. He has a new flatbed on order. It’s due May 10 as his new campaign truck.