WASHINGTON – Southern Minnesota’s member of Congress, Brad Finstad, announced he will seek re-election. Finstad is a New Ulm farmer who has been an exuberant supporter of President Trump. The timing of Finstad’s announcement was a surprise. The announcement came as polls showed Trump’s support plummeting for cutting government services, siding with Russia in the Ukraine war, and launching scary tariff wars that could worsen inflation and destroy foreign markets for US. agriculture. Perhaps astutely, Finstad’s announcement didn’t mention Trump. Instead, as if rutted in the past, he lambasted former President Biden. Finstad is conscious of Trump becoming a liability. For weeks Finstad has refused to seek constituent views through the usual forum of townhall meetings. Instead, he has arranged only small meetings limited to tiny groups of like-minded Republican loyalists. News reporters haven’t been invited, nor have citizens at large. Finstad’s political history includes three terms in the Minnesota House going back 23 years. In 2017 he was appointed by Trump as a rural development ambassador to Minnesota farmers. His duties were not defined. It’s unclear what he did, suggesting the appointment was political payback for supporting Trump. On policy Finstad opposes abortion and a woman’s right choose.
Finstad. In his farm truck. Besides corn and soybeans. he owns a soil laboratory that employs 40 people. His age: 48.
Verbatim
Finstad: “It has been an honor of a lifetime to represent my friends and neighbors across southern Minnesota in Congress. Under Biden and the Democrats we saw chaos on our border, out of control inflation, and skyrocketing national debt. The American people voted for us to take action to ensure we leave a strong nation to our children and grandchildren. There is a lot of hard work to be done, but I know America’s best days are still ahead of us.”
His electoral history
2002 special election: Defeated Jeff Ettinger of Austin, a Democrat, 50% to 46%, for the MN-1 seat vacated by the death fellow Republican Jim Hagedorn.
2022 election: Defeated Ettinger again, this time 53% to 42%.
2024 election: Defeated Rachel Bowman of Rochester, a Democrat, 58% to 41%.