(bright music) (gentle upbeat music) - [Host] Welcome to "Meet the Candidates," the local election forum from Pioneer PBS.

This season we asked every candidate the same list of questions to learn more about what type of legislator they will be if elected.

In this episode, we will meet candidates from Minnesota House District 15B.

District lines have changed since 2020 Census.

District 15B is made up of Redwood, Brown, and Blue Earth Counties.

Major cities include New Ulm, Redwood Falls, and Sleepy Eye.

To find out which district you live in, visit mnvotes.org.

And now let's meet the candidates.

We will start with DFL candidate Tom Kuster.

- I'm Tom Kuster, your DFL candidate for Minnesota House in District 15B.

That includes Brown and Redwood Counties in a tiny corner of northwest Blue Earth County.

And I wanna ask you a question.

What is stressing you right now?

What anxieties and worries do you have right now?

I'd like to indicate to you what kind of representative for you I would like to be.

I'd like to be the person who asks you those questions and sits down with you and tries to figure out answers to them, analyzing those problems, whatever they might be.

Is it you need more affordable healthcare?

Do you need more affordable and available daycare?

Do you need elder care for keeping the elderly people close to home and close to family?

What about those low spots in the field where the crops got too wet?

I want to talk with you about those, figure out those problems and figure out ways of approaching them and addressing them and making your life better.

Those are the solutions that I'd like to take to St. Paul working for you as your representative.

- [Host] Why do you want to be the representative for your district?

- I want to represent you in District 15B, Brown and Redwood Counties, because you don't have an effective representative now.

I can be that more effective representative, the one that listens to you, the one that analyzes your problems and sits down with you and works things out and figures things out.

I don't plan to go to St. Paul with a quiver full of positions.

I want to go to St. Paul with a quiver full of solutions that I can make effective, help make effective for you, government in partnership with you to help make your life better.

I can be that kind of representative.

- [Host] What are your priorities for the next legislative session?

- My first and highest priority is going to be to represent.

That's what I think a representative does, someone who represents you.

And if elected, I'm gonna sit down and meet with all kinds of constituents at all levels, city councils, county commissioners, the groups of citizens in all of our communities that are working toward economic development, school boards, healthcare workers, senior care workers.

Everyone I can meet I'm going to meet and try to let you decide what kinds of priorities I should have and what are the issues I should bring to St. Paul.

We'll analyze problems.

We'll try to figure out what to do with them, and we're going to work out solutions together, partnering government with you so that your life can be made better by the help of your government.

- [Host] What unique perspective do you bring to the Minnesota House?

- I offer a lifetime of experience and skills as an advocate.

As a college teacher, I taught courses in advocacy and problem-solving and conflict management, and I practiced those things in my career as a college teacher as well as in the community.

That means, first of all, listening to you, hearing your problems and sitting with you and working out solutions to them.

And then that means creating a reasonable and persuasive case for those solutions and bringing them to the legislature.

It means building coalitions that will get things done.

I have a track record of getting things done.

I helped fund a school referendum in New Ulm.

I helped fund the Vogel Arena in New Ulm.

I helped create a campaign to fund the swimming pool at Flandrau State Park in New Ulm.

I have a track record in the state legislature helping lobby for funding for the Human Rights Department and lobbying and completing and establishing a bill, a pro-life bill, that helps mothers with insurance companies.

I've done all these things, and these are the skills and abilities that I offer to you as a effective advocate in St. Paul for your interests, getting things done.

- [Host] What is your vision for the future of Minnesota?

- Oddly, my vision for the future of Minnesota depends a great deal on the outcome of this year's presidential election.

In the unlikely but possible event that the Republican wins the White House again, we're going to need a strong Democratic presence in St. Paul to protect you and to protect the state from the impact of the policies that will be implemented there from the new president and Project 2025.

Make no mistake, as the coach says, "Why draw up the playbook if you're not gonna use the plays?"

And we're gonna need to make sure that there are no concentration camps in Minnesota, that the valuable farm workers aren't rounded up and the production disrupted, not to mention the families broken apart by their cruel proposal to round up and deport immigrants.

We're going to need a strong presence in St. Paul to protect farmers against the impact of Project 2025, where they're going to take nutrition programs out of the Farm Bill, where they're going to cut back on risk protection, where they're going to eliminate any reference to climate and any support for climate.

If the Democrat wins, then we can turn the page on all that politics of hate and division and retribution and move forward as we have in the past legislative session under the leadership of Democrats working on issues like risk protection for farmers and climate effects and limiting stray voltage and all those things.

We'll work...

It'll be quite a different vision but crucially important for the people of Minnesota.

- [Host] And now a closing statement.

(gentle upbeat music) - As you can tell, I've been around for quite a while.

I was five years old when General Dwight Eisenhower led the greatest generation in Europe to defeat the Nazis.

And now the leader of the other party welcomes the support of Nazis and says they're very fine people.

I remember when Republican President Reagan said, "Tear down this wall," and oversaw the destruction of the Soviet Empire.

And now that party wants to help Putin rebuild that empire by giving him Ukraine.

I remember when Republican leaders of Congress went to their President Nixon when it was clear that he had broken the law, and they told him, "You either resign, or you're going to be impeached."

And now that party puts up with any kind of law-breaking from their leader and defends him.

The Republican Party used to stand for good, sound conservative principles, free trade, support for democracies around the world, resistance of dictators, a whole list of good, strong, conservative principles, but those are all gone.

That Republican party is dead.

It's been taken over by the MAGA people who have stolen their name.

The MAGA people are Republicans in name only, RINOs.

If you vote for a Democrat this time, it doesn't mean you're a Democrat, God forbid.

It only means that you're joining a growing list of Republicans who are trying to cleanse the stain from the top of their party by this time voting for a Democrat for president.

I hope that one of those Democratic votes that you'll cast this year is for me.

Go to tomforhouse.com.

- [Host] You can find more information online about Tom Kuster at his website, tomforhouse.com.

Next, the Republican candidate, Paul Torkelson.

- Hello, my name is Paul Torkelson.

I'm the endorsed Republican candidate for District 15B, and I want to thank you for taking an interest in Minnesota politics and thank voters for strong support I have received in elections over the last 18 years.

I am finishing my eighth term in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and I hope to be reelected to the ninth term this fall.

The general election in November is November 5th, and whether it's through your mailbox or the ballot box, I hope all of you take the time to vote.

It has truly been an honor to serve my constituents and represent them at the capitol.

I'm a farmer by trade actively involved in the operation of my farm.

I'm a fourth-generation farmer.

I directly connect with the everyday issues affecting greater Minnesota.

I am proud of my record in the legislature over these last 16 years representing my district and dealing with some of the most challenging issues facing the state of Minnesota.

The broad range of my experience in and out of the legislature has equipped me with the skills and perspectives that help me successfully represent my constituents.

I have developed a good working relationship with the residents of the district and likewise with a broad range of legislators, staff members, state agency personnel, and interest groups that are all part of the work we do at the legislature.

Representing the district at the capital involves activities that range far beyond what happens in committees or on the House floor.

Much of what I do is centered around the challenges my constituents have dealing with various state agencies.

A candidate needs to stand up for important issues, and I do.

I'm pro-life agenda.

I support agriculture and our rural way of life.

I support our Second Amendment rights.

I support fair funding for our rural schools, and I support making Minnesota a business-friendly state.

I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to serve the fine people of South-Central Minnesota, and I look forward to responding to the rest of the questions this afternoon.

Feel free to contact me at any time.

- [Host] Why do you want to be the representative for your district?

- I have enjoyed my work at the legislature, but the last two years under complete control of the Democrats has put our state in a very difficult situation.

Minnesota needs to elect a Republican majority in the House, and I intend to be part of it.

My experience gives me a base of knowledge about my constituents, my district, and my state.

Utilizing who and what I know, I will strive to represent all of them and use my experience to be an effective legislator.

If the voters of 15B are kind enough to reelect me this fall, I will stand ready to represent them.

Last session, Minnesota Democrats blew a $20 billion state budget surplus and then raised your taxes by more than $10 billion.

Democrats promised to eliminate the state tax on Social Security and give a $2,000 rebate check.

Last session they didn't do that.

There was not an elimination of Social Security taxes, and the rebates were much smaller.

Over $1 billion has been stolen from Minnesota taxpayers.

Yet Governor Walz and the Democrats in the legislature couldn't care less.

Under total Democrat control, numerous fraudulent scandals have taken place, including the much publicized Feeding Our Future.

I hope to get back to St. Paul to address these many issues.

- [Host] What are your priorities for the next legislative session?

- The top issue I discuss with my voters is their frustration with single-party control of Minnesota government.

The DFL trifecta spent nearly every penny of a very large surplus, expanded the size and scope of state government, raised billions of dollars in higher taxes, and failed to make anyone in government accountable for fraudulent spending.

In the area of education, last session's increase in spending was coupled with too many mandates.

We should allow school boards, working with parents, the authority to do the job they were elected to do.

In the area of infrastructure, roads, bridges, broadband, wastewater treatment, and drinking water systems need repair and replacement.

The state plays an important role in this work and should continue at a steady pace and predictable pace to fund these projects all across the state.

Nursing homes, daycare facilities, and emergency medical response services are all in dire need of help.

Many nursing homes have closed.

Up to 30 have closed recently.

Daycare facilities are struggling as more and more small daycares go out of business.

Our emergency medical responders have definite challenges of recruiting new responders, and they also need help.

Tax reform that allows Minnesotans to keep more of what they earn, including Social Security tax relief for all senior citizens, and finally, regulatory reform to relieve Minnesotans that are burdened by an overly aggressive rules and regulations that make it hard to do business in the state of Minnesota.

- [Host] What unique perspective do you bring to the Minnesota House?

- I believe the most important quality I bring to my work in the legislature is my willingness to listen and learn.

We make the best decisions when we are well-informed and understand the consequences of our legislation.

I do my best to treat everyone with respect and focus my attention on the issues, not the personalities.

We can disagree without being disagreeable.

After my reelection in November of 2022, I was honored to be asked to serve as a deputy leader of our caucus.

In May of this year, I was unanimously endorsed by the District 15 Republican delegates to run for a ninth term.

I have a great deal of experience in the legislature.

I've been vice chair of the of the environment committee.

I've worked on the ag committee.

I was past chair of the capital investment committee that does the bonding bill.

I'm past chair of the transportation committee, where we did some great work as far as funding transportation projects and setting up better transportation funding for the future.

I recently was the the Republican lead on the redistricting committee when we drew new districts.

And this last session I was the Republican lead on the elections committee dealing with the changes to our elections law.

I have served on a wide variety of committees with areas of responsibility, and I look forward to using that experience and expertise to serve my district.

- [Host] What is your vision for the future of Minnesota?

- The state of the state for Minnesota is really pretty good at this time, but there are signs we are heading in the wrong direction.

I would slow down the growth of government, reform our tax system, and focus on the priorities listed in the previous question.

There's a problem in Minnesota, as my time in the legislature, we've seen this rural and urban divide.

Greater Minnesota, the wide open spaces of Minnesota, have become represented almost exclusively by Republicans, and the population centers of our state have become almost exclusively represented by Democrats.

This is not really a healthy situation.

We Minnesotans are served best when we have these district regions represented in both parties, and I would hope that as we move forward that we would kind of get back to more of a mixed representation so that all voices are heard in both caucuses of the legislature.

This election is an opportunity to elect candidates who will prioritize the issues you care about, addressing public safety, supplying tax relief, eliminating corruption, regulating illegal drugs, defending your Second Amendment rights, protecting the lives of the most vulnerable, supporting agriculture, and standing up for our rural way of life.

Whether it's at the mailbox or the ballot box, please be sure to vote and encourage everyone to cast a ballot in this important election.

- [Host] And now a closing statement.

- First, I would like to thank Pioneer Public Television for hosting this series and thank my opponent who has also utilized this platform.

I also wanna express my heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity to represent District 15B in St. Paul.

One-party control of Minnesota government allowed for the passage of an extremely liberal agenda that I believe is irresponsible and unaffordable.

During my time in the Minnesota House, I have worked hard to rein in wasteful spending within state government, allow you to keep more of what you earn, preserve your liberties, protect your Second Amendment freedoms, and fight for the rights of the most vulnerable.

I work to unite, not to divide, and I passionately believe Minnesota can and will be up to the task of dealing with the challenges before us.

I'm here tonight asking for your vote.

Thanks again for listening and don't forget to vote in the November 5th general election.

- [Host] You can find more information online about Paul Torkelson at his website, ptorkelson.com.

(gentle upbeat music) Learn more about voting, how to register, and what district you live in by visiting the Minnesota Secretary of State website at mnvotes.org.

Remember, Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th.

Thank you for watching "Meet the Candidates" on Pioneer PBS.

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