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

This season, we ask 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 Senate District 15.

District lines have changed since the 2020 census.

District 15 is made up of Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, Lyon Redwood, Brown, and Blue Earth counties.

Major cities include New Ulm, Marshall, Redwood Falls, and Granite Falls.

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

And now, let's meet the candidates.

We'll start with the DFL candidate, Andrea Boettger.

- Hi, my name is Andrea Boettger, and I am running to be your next state senator here in Senate District 15.

As the only candidate with direct experience in working with local government, I've spent the past six years working with state and regional organizations at all levels to drive meaningful change and real results in our local communities.

As council president for the city of New Ulm, which is the largest city in District 15, I helped to address our housing shortage by approving development projects that spurred community growth and answered the calls from our business owners and schools and families for more affordable housing.

I supported the development as a pod model daycare through my work on our economic development authority, and that has expanded options for families in our community, giving providers an option to care for children without having to modify their homes.

While there's still more work to be done in this area regarding legislation that's prohibitive, we are still making progress one step at a time.

I've accomplished this by listening to citizens, business owners, school leaders, and working with our city officials and taking action where I am able to make positive differences in the lives of those in our community.

- [Host] Why do you wanna be the senator for your district?

- I'm running to be the next senator for Senate District 15 because I've spent the last six years observing, listening, and learning firsthand about the challenges that are affecting our rural communities.

When it comes to education, housing, access to reliable internet, the challenges plaguing our farmers and farming communities, I've been actively engaged in working with others to drive solutions to the issues that are affecting our district.

Rural representation has grown increasingly unbalanced, and I have observed our representatives doing more complaining about Metro leaders than offering solutions and fighting for our fair share of the pie.

Our rural EMS system is in crisis and something needs to be done, not just here in Southern Minnesota, but in many of our rural communities.

It's not just our large metro hospitals that are in financial trouble, but our local facilities as well.

Our citizens need the voice of someone who knows and understands the critical issues and how to work in a bipartisan way to communicate the needs of our districts.

This is where you, the voters, need someone that you can count on to listen to and advocate for what is needed to keep our communities growing, our childcare expanding, our roads and bridges maintained, and to keep our hospitals open.

I have the experience and the strength to be that leader in District 15, and I'm someone who will listen and respond to you even if you and I do not agree on everything.

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

- My priorities for the next legislative session will be driven by what I'm hearing from each of you.

It will also be to ensure that our state budget reflects appropriate investments in our district and that our local government aid does stay protected.

Our communities count on this support and I did not appreciate learning this was being threatened in prior legislative sessions.

I will also support overdue and unnecessary funding investments to give our social workers the appropriate systems they need to do their jobs and eliminate opportunities for any fraud and to ensure the oversight committees do their job in holding those accountable who have squandered our taxpayer dollars.

The systems that are being used now are decades old and provide opportunities for bad actors to take advantage.

Fraud is not just a single party issue, but one that needs to be acknowledged that a lack of oversight and proper investments from both sides contributed to this mess.

New leadership needs to take the reins and take action on making sure our tax dollars where they're going where they should and that our workers have the resources that they need to do their jobs appropriately and effectively.

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

- Well, I grew up in Pennsylvania in a suburban area and I spent some of my time in my younger years living in South Florida.

I have been living in Minnesota for over 15 years and have been drawn to so much about our great state.

It's what tugged me to run for city council over eight years ago, and I have spent my entire career in hospitality, banking, finance, and managing nonprofits.

Despite the negative press our state has received, we consistently rank as a top state to live, work, and raise a family and these are facts.

We consistently rank in the top five or 10 of all states for life expectancy, healthy lifestyles, education, and are number one in having the highest average credit score.

And while that's a bit of a random statistic, it serves as proof that we as Minnesotans care about each other, we take pride in the work that we do, we are all tied to a higher quality of life, we are accountable to our debts, and we are proactive about our health.

As your senator, I will work to keep the proper programs in place and support the elimination of programs that are not delivering positive outcomes.

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

- Well, it's not just about my vision, but it's what Minnesotans believe is their vision.

And the Minnesota 2030 report and the One Minnesota Plan have identified things like Minnesota needs to remain a welcoming environment for innovation and to address our rural shortages in housing and childcare.

We also need to invest in broadband access for our rural communities, which means engaging with our technology providers to have those hard conversations, but to really drive that expansion.

We need to make sure that our young people have the same opportunities as past generations to own a home.

I heard a statistic recently that the average first time home buyer is approaching 40 years old and that simply isn't acceptable, not here in Minnesota.

That our farmers are supported while they recover from lost markets due to tariffs, that our roads and bridges are perpetually maintained and that our healthcare systems undergo reform that will make healthcare not just a luxury, but affordable for those who simply cannot afford these excessive costs today.

Something needs to be done about our healthcare.

We need to get folks able to afford healthcare so that they can get the help when they need if something goes wrong.

- [Host] And now, a closing statement.

(bright music) - You, the voters of Senate District 15 have a remarkable opportunity to use your vote to drive change this election cycle.

We have not had an open seat in this district for decades.

This means that somebody new will be your senator.

I'm asking each of you watching for your support for this reason.

Our district deserves somebody that will listen to and support the needs of our farmers, business owners, educators, service workers, healthcare workers, families, and residents of all ages, whether we agree on everything or not.

If elected, I will be your senator and not a rubber stamp or a puppet.

I am not wet behind the ears and have already been doing the work it takes to make actionable change at the local level and I have the results to prove it.

I am ready to be your state senator and I am here to listen to what is important to your communities, represent the needs of our district, and to deliver solutions and not lip service to the communities, citizens, and business owners of our Senate District 15.

My experience greatly outweighs that of my opponent.

This includes years of managing and approving city and large organizational budgets, participation on a number of regional and statewide boards and organizations that work to drive economic development, protect us from legislation that does not make sense for our rural communities, and have delivered real solutions to address housing and childcare shortages in my home city of New Ulm.

I understand the differences between the parties and have worked to earn the respect of my peers on both sides of the aisle.

I have raised two children that have one time had to go to different daycares.

I was a single mom for several years working to maintain home ownership, pay property taxes, and I did not have healthcare.

I understand needing to live on a budget, not always being able to fill your gas tank when prices are through the roof, and making swaps at the grocery store when it comes to a want versus a need.

If you want a representative that truly understands economic resilience and growth, community opportunities, how to budget effectively, and how to drive meaningful change, I am asking you for your support and your vote.

Thank you.

- [Host] You can find more information about Andrea Boettger at boettgerformnsenate.com.

(bright music) Next, the Republican candidate, Braxton Seifert.

- My name is Braxton Seifert, and I'm running to be your next state senator.

My family and I are six generations deep in the district and I was born, raised, and educated right here.

In 2022, I graduated the Worldwide College of Auctioneering and I started my own auctioneering business and I bought my own farm site and I started a warehouse and storage facility.

I also currently work at Midwest Bank, a family-owned bank in Marshall, helping farmers, small business owners, and families afford this expensive state, and I work as a loan officer.

My family came six generations ago and they worked hard, they played by the rules, and they achieved the American dream.

And that American dream in Minnesota is becoming more and more out of reach as we see $9 billion in fraud, affordability that's getting more and more out of reach, and a system of education where we went from in the top three just in the last Republican governor to the bottom half.

That's unacceptable.

I wanna fight for you in the state Senate where we can be back in the top three for education, where it's easier to start a small business than to defraud the state government and where the next generation can look to pass on their family farm, start their small business, had affordable housing, and find a job and live in rural Minnesota comfortably.

I've been here my whole life and I will fight for our values in St.

Paul.

Thank you.

- [Host] Why do you wanna be the senator for your district?

- Yeah, so my family and I are six generations deep in the district and I've lived here my whole life.

I'm the only candidate that's been here my whole life and I've traveled to all 50 cities in the district trying to better understand you, listen to you, and represent you effectively in St.

Paul in the Minnesota Senate.

You know, at my job as a loan officer at Midwest Bank, I meet with the small business owners, the families that are trying to afford this state, or the farmers that are trying to, you know, be able to afford a well and pump it downstream to their livestock.

This state has become so unaffordable where it's easier to defraud the state than to start your own small business.

And I've started two small businesses, I know it.

We need to get back to a Minnesota that we're proud of, where you can have a quality education for your kids, where the next generation can look to Minnesota and see opportunity.

I wanna bring back the Minnesota that was better when we grew up.

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

(bright music) - The number one priority for this next legislative session is ending the $9 billion in fraud.

And that $9 billion in fraud was according to the US Attorney's Office, they were the ones that cited that.

And to put that number into perspective, for every man, woman, and child in Minnesota, that'd be a check for $1,500.

That's real affordability that could have gone to Minnesotans, but instead it was stolen and defrauded from our citizens and our tax dollars.

That is unacceptable and we need to reform our state government.

So the folks that need the money, like the welfare programs or these other programs, they are the ones that are getting the dollars, not people that are stealing and ripping us off from the state government.

The next thing we need to look at is affordability, expensive energy mandates.

You know, myself at my farm site and in my small businesses, my energy prices have gone up 20 to 25% in the summer and 40% in the winter times.

That's why I'm running.

We need to bring down expensive energy mandates and bring down the cost of living in Minnesota.

We need to make sure your tax dollars go further and we need to fight for our next generation, focusing on reading, writing, science, math, so that way we get back to the basic core functions and we are not indoctrinating our kids in crazy stuff.

We just focus on the core principles of education.

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

(bright music) - Yeah, so like I said before, the unique perspective that I bring, obviously, I've started two businesses in the state of Minnesota, so I understand our needs that our businesses are seeing with high taxes, increased regulations, and government mandates that they're driving down from St.

Paul, but as well as my work as a loan officer at Midwest Bank and Marshall.

I meet with the families that are, you know, trying to add onto their homes or the high school student who's trying to buy their first car or the college student who's looking to pay for their education or the small business owner who's just looking to start up.

I've met with these people, I've met with the farmers, I work with them every day, and I understand their needs.

We need a person just like us in the Minnesota Senate that knows what we see and what we deal with every single day and is ready on day one to fight for our values.

I am the only candidate in this race that can have that unique perspective and will fight for us in the Minnesota Senate.

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

(bright music) - Yeah, so the future of Minnesota, we need to look back at Minnesota at what it was when we were growing up.

It was the bright shining star of the North.

We were looked at as Minnesota nice with the highest in education in a state that you could afford.

Right now, Minnesota has become an embarrassment under recent policies in St.

Paul.

We've been in the news time after time for fraud that's going on and people ripping off our state government instead of those funds going to the people that actually need them.

We've got an education system where we've gone from the top three in academic excellence in our public schools to the bottom half.

That's unacceptable.

I want to build a Minnesota together where we can look at our state and see opportunity where young people don't move to South Dakota and Iowa for opportunity.

They build it right here in Minnesota where you can pass down the generational farm, where you can start and grow your small businesses, where you've got jobs available in your rural economies, and then you've got infrastructure that's there to support it as well, where you can turn on the water and have clean water.

We need to build a Minnesota together, we need to build a Minnesota that's affordable, and you can check out my website, seifertforsenate.com, to view my detailed plans on those topics.

- [Host] And now, a closing statement.

(bright music) - My name is Braxton Seifert, and I'm running to be your next state senator.

I wanna first thank PBS for hosting this candidate forum and allowing me to share a little bit about my vision for the state of Minnesota.

As a loan officer at a family-owned bank and as a small business owner, I understand the needs and how we want our future to look in Minnesota.

As a sixth generation resident who was born and raised and educated and lived in the district their whole lives, I understand our values and our needs.

I've traveled to all 50 cities in the district and I will continue to travel and listen to voters to understand what your needs and concerns are this November, and I will fight for you and continue to visit with you once I'm elected to the Minnesota Senate.

We need to bring down the cost of living.

We've had $9 billion in fraud.

Let's break that number down a little bit and see what it could mean for you as your family.

Nine billion in dollars in fraud, we could end the 32.6 cent gas tax for seven years.

We could cut property taxes by 25% for three years, and we could end the license tab fees in Minnesota for 12 years.

That's real savings for real Minnesotans.

We also need to end expensive energy mandates that are driving up costs for our families, and we need to lower those bills.

We also need to look at our education system.

Right now, only half of our students are reading at grade level in public schools.

That's unacceptable.

We need to get back to the core functions of education and support our students where they need it.

My name is Braxton Seifert, and I'd be honored to earn your vote this November.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the great state of Minnesota.

(bright music) - [Host] You can find more information about Braxton Seifert at seifertfordsenate.com.

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 3rd.

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

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