Jake grew up in Stewartville, Minnesota, with ten siblings, as the son of a garbage man and a meter reader. Jake worked hard to make it into the middle class, supported along the way by his church community, public programs, and great teachers, which inspired him to become a math teacher.

Today, Jake and his wife Molly are raising four boys in southern Minnesota, and they feel the rising cost of groceries, utilities, and healthcare firsthand. After 20 years in the classroom, Jake is running for Congress to bring down costs, take on corruption, and invest in small towns, so that his students have a shot at the American Dream like he did.