(bright music) (gentle music) - [Narrator] 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 House District 16A.

District lines have changed since the 2020 census.

District 16A is made up of Chippewa and Renville County, and portions of Meeker and Kandiyohi Counties.

Major cities include Litchfield, Montevideo, and Olivia.

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

And now, let's meet the candidates.

We will start with the DFL candidate, Kathy Hegstad.

- Hi, I am Kathy Jorgenson-Hegstad, and I'm running for legislature House Seat 16A, and I would love to have your vote, and I would love to introduce myself.

I am recently moved here from North Dakota, but I have lived here for five years and love it here.

This is a beautiful place to live.

I have a very strong background in agriculture and work in agriculture, and love the ag that we have here and the growth that it can bring to our communities.

I also love the small towns that are within the district.

I also love the recreation that we have within the district.

It is wonderful to have the parks that we have.

I'm a horseback rider, so absolutely love having the opportunity to go trail riding at all of the Renville County parks that allow horses to for trail riding.

I'm also very active doing kayaking and other things, and my children love coming to visit me and doing the activities that are offered within the 16A district.

I do hope and appreciate you will consider my vote, and I am going to work very hard for all of the residents of 16A.

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

- I want to represent District 16A because I love living here, I love the people.

The people are so friendly and they are so hardworking, and I want to be able to bring to District 16A every opportunity that we can have.

I wanna be able to give people the opportunity to open businesses, to promote small businesses, and I wanna just support 16A and do everything that we can to get the needed funds in this area so that we can prosper.

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

- For the next legislative session, my priorities are to be able to bridge the gap between Minneapolis, between St. Paul, and the cities to the rural areas, to make people understand, or to convince people that agriculture is not just going to the grocery store to get your food.

Agriculture is here, right on the ground, growing that food, and understanding the challenges that farmers have in able to grow a crop.

I also want to prioritize help for working families.

There are many families that are struggling here.

The cost of daycare is very hard on them, and they need more support when it comes to paying for daycare.

Also, daycare providers need more support.

They need lots more support from the state in order to have a business and also have a business that they also can survive and be profitable for them to make a living.

There are lots of regulations right now that have come up with running a daycare, and I definitely want to be able to help those in need and get it much easier for daycare providers.

I also want to bring about markets for farmers to be able to market other crops than besides the local crops that are grown.

There are lots of other areas that we could bring other crops in.

I definitely have lots and lots of interest in promoting and bringing about change and good things to 16A.

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

- The unique perspective that I bring to the Minnesota House is mainly because I am a woman.

I am a woman, and we have different ways of thinking, and we also have a very good way of listening.

I want to listen to people, and understand, and compassion, and empathy on what we need in this area, what is really needed from the state legislature in order to make our communities thrive, to make our communities thrive so that people will want to stay in our communities, and they will want to raise their children for the next generation.

I also want to promote young farmers.

I want to be able to help them in legislation that will bring about a change in order to be able to take over a family farm, being able to afford to start farming, and that is really a good aspect of what I want to change.

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

- My vision for the future of Minnesota is to see rural districts, such as 16A, prosper and maintain our population so that there will not be an outward movement of population.

I would like to see more industry come into our area, and also more agricultural opportunities in changing markets in bringing about new types of crops.

My vision for the area is to see people be able to survive on a healthy income and be able to enjoy this area, and enjoy rural Minnesota, especially, with all of the recreational, all of the quality of life that it has to offer.

I just want to promote Minnesota in whole as a state, as a wonderful place to live, which I have found with being not a native Minnesotan.

I absolutely love living here, and I want to continue to see Minnesota grow and prosper.

- [Narrator] And now, a closing statement.

- I'm Kathy Jorgenson-Hegstad, and I would really appreciate your vote.

I will work very, very hard for 16A in the legislature.

I have a very strong ag background.

I understand agriculture, and I will understand how I can relate those needs, and desires, and stresses that farmers have to those in the legislature.

I want to bridge the gap, to be able to bring more opportunities into rural 16A and into our area, so that more people understand and see how wonderful it is to live here.

Please follow me on my Facebook page, "Kathy for House," and please vote for me on November 5th.

Thank you.

- [Narrator] You can find more information online about Kathy Hegstad at her campaign Facebook page, "Kathy for House."

Next, the Republican candidate, Scott Van Binsbergen.

- It's a pleasure to be here today.

I wanna thank PBS for hosting this event.

It's been, you've had a long tradition of "Meet the Candidates," and it's just a great way for voters to hear the issues and meet the people that will be representing them.

I'm Scott Van Binsbergen.

I'm a lifelong resident of Montevideo.

I'm married to my wife, Clarissa.

We've been married for 28 years.

We have three children, two in college, and one still in high school.

Our mission has been around our family over the years.

After I graduated from college, I returned back home to Montevideo.

I got married, I started a family, started a business, and I've started multiple different businesses over the past 25 years.

I've also been very active in my community, been involved with different projects and different organizations.

I've served on our local chamber, Kiwanis, United Way.

I've been a member of Hope Reform Church since I was a young boy.

I've also served on our church board.

I've served on the boards at Old National Bank and Klein Bank.

My experience is in agriculture, insurance, real estate, banking, housing, healthcare, and economic development.

All areas that are critical to the survival of the future of this area, and the future of rural Minnesota.

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

- Well, there are many reasons.

You see, I love this region.

I've lived here my entire life.

I've invested here in rural Minnesota through my business, and into many of the small communities in the region.

I wanna see rural Minnesota thrive, and in order for our government to... And our government needs to know its place.

The government needs to know that the citizens are in charge.

Government needs to tax, spend, and regulate less.

I wanna represent the values of greater Minnesota, which are strong families, strong communities, strong schools, and strong businesses.

And leadership is vital to this.

Strong leadership is important in our homes, in our churches, in our schools, in our workplace, and it's also important in our government.

I look forward to using my years of experience, in business and in the private sector, and I want to take some common sense and some balance to St. Paul for Minnesotans.

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

- Minnesota State government has lost its way.

Minnesota has become a state that it's very difficult to do business in.

We have adopted the policies of California and New York.

You see, number one, we need balance.

We need common sense.

One of the first goals, I believe, is to stop some of the radical policies that have been forced upon us by the radical left.

Second, having grown up on our family farm, I know that agriculture is the economic engine to our economy in rural Minnesota.

I will stand up, and I will fight, and I'll protect the family farm.

Third, I wanna focus on the rural economy and on economic development.

Something that we have ignored for far too long.

We've had too many rules, too many regulations, too many taxes, and they're standing in the way of us being competitive in that, standing in the way of growth.

We also have to reduce state spending.

State spending needs to be brought into control.

Last session, the Democrats squandered a $17 billion surplus, said no to rebates to hardworking families, and they are preparing to spend billions again in the next two sessions.

Quality education is essential, and it is essential for the next generation.

We need to focus on reading, and writing, and history, and math, and technology.

We need to allow parents to be in control of the moral development of their children.

Right now, unions are in control, not moms and dads.

We also need to have a strong and watchful eye on public safety in our area.

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

- I think I bring the people's perspective.

It seems to me we're the same.

We have the same goals, the same concerns.

We have the same understanding that government isn't the answer, it's the problem.

It seems to me that we all love freedom and that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But the American dream in the state we love is slipping away because of the radical policies of Tim Walz and the far left in St. Paul.

It seems to me we agree that we have a government that we can't afford.

Government needs to plan, to budget, and to spend, just like each of our families do.

And you know, several organizations in this state have the same perspective as I do.

I've been endorsed by the Minnesota Chamber.

I've been endorsed by the Minnesota, or by the National Business Federation.

I've been endorsed by Farm Bureau.

I've been endorsed by the Minnesota Police Officer Association.

I've been endorsed by MCCL.

And I've been been endorsed by the NRA.

I look forward to going and representing the values of this area.

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

- Well, Minnesota is at a fork in the road.

One path continues towards an anti rural policies, wasteful spending, rampant inflation, and radical ideologies.

The other path, which my business and my life have been built on, and my campaign on, and it's about common sense.

It's about time-tested conservative principles that bring economic prosperity, job creation, strong main streets, and respect for traditional values.

If we are gonna change how things work, we need someone who has a history of creating change.

We need someone from outside the political system, outside of government, and I think I'm that person.

See, I've been out and I've been meeting the folks in District 16A.

I've been in 19 parades.

I've been to all the county fairs.

I've door knocked on the doors, I pounded the signs, but more importantly, I've been listening to the voters.

You see, we have a vision.

We have a vision for a better and a brighter future for this area.

It's a vision that believes in limited government, a vision that promotes freedom, and a vision that believes in that entrepreneurial spirit.

- [Narrator] And now, a closing statement.

- Again, I just want to thank this organization for hosting this event.

I also wanna thank my predecessor, representative Dean Urdahl.

Dean Urdahl served in the Minnesota legislature for 22 years, and he worked hard at the job and I've got some big shoes to fill.

I want to thank him for his service, but I also wanna thank him for his support, his endorsement of me, and his friendship.

I've gotten to know Dean and Karen and I just have come to really appreciate what they stand for and what they represent.

I'm very optimistic about the future of rural Minnesota.

The people of Western Minnesota, they're among the hardest, and most resourceful, and dedicated in the nation.

We need a fighter.

We need a leader that will go to St. Paul and make sure we have a seat at the table.

That our voice is heard.

For far too long, the battle has been between rural and metro, and the metro has been winning.

That's gonna change.

We are gonna have a seat at the table, and I'm gonna be that person to help that process.

I just wanna encourage everybody to get involved.

I encourage you if you want to be involved in a campaign, to get ahold of me.

Also, I encourage you to go to the poll this November, and I encourage you to vote.

I look forward.

I look forward to going to work for the people of Minnesota.

May God continue to bless this great state of Minnesota.

Thank you.

- [Narrator] You can find more information online about Scott Van Binsbergen at his website, svformn.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 5th.

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

(gentle music)