Policy has a common ground; we just need to find it.

I am tired of politics that feels like everyone is performing for the internet while regular people are just trying to get through the week. I am running to do the job: ask hard questions, be straight with people, work with whoever is serious, and make progress where we can. That is what “let’s do something different” means to me.

I don’t care what party is in charge: if public money is being wasted, misused, or stolen, people deserve to know about it. Minnesota needs stronger oversight, clearer reporting, and a government that can admit when something is not working. This is not about yelling “fraud” for political points. It is about proving we are serious with taxpayer dollars.

 People are getting squeezed from every direction: groceries, housing, childcare, insurance, utilities, taxes, and health care. I am not interested in fake promises or pretending one bill fixes all of it. I want state government focused on the pressure people actually feel and on practical steps that make life more affordable.

Property taxes are where a lot of government decisions finally hit your kitchen table. Counties, cities, schools, and townships get stuck carrying costs from decisions made higher up, and then homeowners get the bill. I want to be honest about what property taxes fund, what drives increases, and how we stop pretending local governments can absorb every mandate without passing the cost on to people.

If you bought it, you should be able to fix it. Farmers, small businesses, families, mechanics, and consumers should not be forced back to the manufacturer every time something breaks. Right to Repair is common sense. It saves money, supports local repair shops, and pushes back on companies that want to control what you own after you already paid for it.

This is the kind of issue that sounds boring until you realize it decides whether government actually works. I don’t believe in pretending every program is good just because it exists. I also don’t believe in the lazy answer of “just cut everything.” We need to measure what works, fix what does not, and stop funding things just because nobody has had the backbone to ask hard questions.

Health care is too expensive, too confusing, and too often built around systems instead of people. Families should not have to fight through a maze just to get care, understand a bill, or afford basic needs. I want practical fixes that lower costs, protect access, strengthen rural care, and cut waste without pretending there is one magic answer.

Kids do not need adults turning every school issue into a political cage match. They need safe schools, strong basics, good teachers, real career paths, and support when they are struggling. Parents, teachers, and communities all matter. The goal should be helping kids succeed, not using them as props in the next partisan fight.

Veterans do not need more speeches. They need government to do its job. That means benefits that actually reach people, surviving spouses who are not left behind, better access to services, and less bureaucracy for people who already earned support. I have spent years working on these issues, and I know the difference between saying you support Veterans and actually getting something done.