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is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for in Back Chris Ford State Senate District 32 Blaine, MN I am a retired firefighter with 21 years of dedicated service, and 13 years as a Fire Captain. As a Captain, the most important thing I taught was to stay calm, and work together when we’ve got a fire to put out. This is the kind of mentality I will bring with me to the State Senate. Now, I have the honor of being a paraprofessional at Blaine High School, where I get the opportunity to help educate future generations. I also serve as a Blaine City Council Member where I help lead efforts to foster safer, healthier, and more affordable communities, and also work to restore accountability in government. I’m proud of my years of service and dedication to our communities and our neighbors. chrisfordformn@gmail.com Donate Website

2026 Endorsed Candidates Click Here to Find Your District Steve Simon Secretary of State Hopkins, MN Read More Keith Ellison Attorney General Minneapolis, MN Read More Jake Johnson U.S. House District 1 Rochester, MN Read More Matt Little U.S. House District 2 New Market Township, MN Read More Rep. Betty McCollum U.S. House District 4 St. Paul, MN Read More Doug Chapin U.S. House District 6 Hanover, MN Read More Reed Olson State House District 2A Bemidji, MN Read More Emily Thabes State House District 2B Bagley, MN Read More Sen. Grant Hauschild State Senate District 3 Hermantown, MN Read More Aaron Kania State House District 3A Lake Vermillion Township, MN Read More Aaron Schweiger State House District 3B Hermantown, MN Read More Thaddeus Laugisch State House District 4B Moorhead, MN Read More Dan Mitchell State House District 5A Loon Lake, MN Read More Denise Slipy State Senate District 6 Brainerd, MN Read More Samuel Grigsby State House District 6A Grand Rapids, MN Read More Kim McLaughlin State Senate District 7 Hibbing, MN Read More Erin McCabe Ningen State House District 7A Hibbing, MN Read More Jeff Larson State House District 10B Milaca, MN Read More Mary Carlson State Senate District 11 Wrenshall, MN Read More Chris Swanson State House District 11A Cloquet, MN Read More Jack L'Heureux State House District 11B Mora, MN Read More Kari Dorry State Senate District 12 Ortonville, MN Read More Trent Dilks State Senate District 13 St. Joseph, MN Read More Arlis Sayler State House District 13A Eden Valley, MN Read More Sen. Aric Putnam State Senate District 14 St. Cloud, MN Read More Abdi Daisane State House District 14A St. Cloud, MN Read More Zachary Dorholt State House District 14B St. Cloud, MN Read More Andrea Boettger State Senate District 15 New Ulm, MN Read More Keith Klawitter State House District 15B Morgan, MN Read More Julie Henslin State House District 16B Willmar, MN Read More Julie Kelzer State Senate District 17 Norwood Young America, MN Read More Mali Anderson State House District 17A Hutchinson, MN Read More Leah Hanson State House District 18A North Mankato, MN Read More Martha Brown State House District 19A Faribault, MN Read More Zack Meyman State House District 19B Waseca, MN Read More Jason Lohmann State Senate District 20 Zumbrota, MN Read More Rusty Nelson State House District 21A Hendricks, MN Read More Jon Wilson State House District 21B St. James, MN Read More Marisa Ulmen State Senate District 22 Madelia, MN Read More Angie Hanson State Senate District 23 Albert Lea, MN Read More Joe Staloch State House District 23A Albert Lea, MN Read More Heather Holmes State House District 24A Byron, MN Read More Jack Hedin State Senate District 26 Winona, MN Read More Dan Wilson State House District 26A Winona, MN Read More Allie Wolf State House District 26B Spring Valley, MN Read More Vanessa Davenport State House District 27A Big Lake, MN Read More Louis McNutt State Senate District 29 Buffalo, MN Read More Colton Kratky State House District 29B Monticello, MN Read More Joey Smyth State House District 30A Otsego, MN Read More Jen Bloomquist State House District 31B East Bethel, MN Read More Chris Ford State Senate District 32 Blaine, MN Read More Rep. Kari Rehrauer State House District 35B Coon Rapids, MN Read More Sen. Heather Gustafson State Senate District 36 Vadnais Heights, MN Read More Kristy Janigo State Senate District 37 Maple Grove, MN Read More Joe Brothers State House District 48A Victoria, MN Read More Rick Olson State Senate District 54 Prior Lake, MN Read More Mark Legvold State Senate District 58 Northfield, MN Read More

is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for in Back Marisa Ulmen State Senate District 22 Madelia, MN I’m a fifth-generation farmer from Watonwan County Minnesota. I come from a long line of farmers and small business owners. My husband Jim and I own a feed mill and we raise dairy goats, Berkshire hogs, chickens and crops. I first became involved in politics when I was about 10 years old when I attended my first caucus meeting and boy was I hooked! Since then, I’ve served as the Watonwan County DFL chair, been elected to three state conventions and served on numerous senate and district committees. Every year since 2016 Minnesota has lost 500 family farms. We haven’t lost acreage, but we have lost those farmers. 500 farmers very year move out of farming. We all know that small towns revolve around farming. When they move away we lose our schools, hardware stores, grocery stores and our community. Minnesota prides itself on producing quality food for the nation and the world. We need a mix of large and small farmers. In 2023 Minnesota House passed an agriculture budget of 60 million dollars. The Republican Senate cut it down to 7.5 Million and our current House Representative, Jeremy Munson still didn’t vote for it. There is a good safety net for crop farmers but not for livestock farmers. When farmers lost everything to Avian Flu there was no safely net for them. It was mostly, “gee that’s too bad, hope it goes well with your bankruptcy”. Hog farmers are constantly dealing with PRRS getting into their herds. There’s no safety net for that either. So when you roast your turkey this fall, realize that those farmers who raised the turkeys worked 7 days a week to provide you with that turkey without a safety net. The Democratic Rural Voice hasn’t been heard in a long time. We need a government for ALL of us. We need a strong voice for other rural interests too. Education, including trade schools, entrepreneurship, economic development, health care, climate, food deserts… the list goes on. Rural Minnesota’s communities need a voice. I want to be that voice. I want to be the conduit for greater Minnesota to the Metro area. We can’t expect government to know what we need if we don’t tell them. mnsenate22@gmail.com Donate Website

The DFL Rural Caucus Annual meeting is set for Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 7pm (6:30pm registration). You are invited to a Zoom meeting Thurs Jan 8, 2026 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada) . Register in advance for this meeting: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.   The event includes a forum featuring DFL candidates for Congressional District offices in Greater Minnesota, followed by our Annual Business meeting. Here's the Congressional Candidate line up so far -  CD 1 - Jake Johnson, confirmed CD 2 - Kaela Berg, Matt Klein, Matt Little - all confirmed CD 6 - Doug Chapter, confirmed; Anson Amberson, invited CD 7 - Heather Keeler and Erik Osberg, both confirmed CD 8 - Cyle Cramer and Trina Swanson , JP McBride, confirmed; Emanuel Anastos, invited Officer Elections : At DFL Rural Caucus Annual Meetings in even numbered years, members elect five officers to two year terms.   Nominations are now open for the offices of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Outreach Inclusion Officer.   The deadline to submit a Nomination form is January 1, 2026 at 11:59pm.  The Nominations Form with position descriptions and instructions is below. You are welcome to submit for any of the 5 officer posts.  In order to submit a Nomination and to vote at the Annual Meeting, you must be a  member in good standing , which means you must have completed the membership form at https://www.dflruralcaucus.org/join  no later than December 29, 2025 at 11:59pm, 10 days in advance of the meeting at which voting is taking place. Rural Caucus memberships year runs from January annual meeting to January annual meeting. If you have a question about your membership status, contact DFL Rural Caucus Treasurer Lori Sellner at  info@dflruralcaucus.org .

The DFL Rural Caucus is gearing up for the 2026 election year by asking you to Commit to Caucus on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, AND submit your ideas for resolutions to be considered at caucuses.  Our Resolutions and Policy Committee has created this form,  https://forms.gle/UdAucFBC5hJ5jh8f6  ,   modelled after the DFL 2026 Resolution Form, to submit your proposed resolutions .  The goal is to identify resolutions of importance in Greater Minnesota and work for their support at Precinct Caucuses. Please submit your resolutions by midnight on  Monday, December 14th. Our resolutions team will then consolidate the resolutions and send them to Rural Caucus members for a vote. Top vote getters will become DFL Rural Caucus priority resolutions, which we'll send in advance at the Feb. 3rd Caucus. Questions?  Email  info@dflruralcaucus.org The Rural Caucus is grateful for your engagement in the DFL!

Last week, Senator Tina Smith announced that she will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2026. While we will miss her leadership, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for her years of service—especially her unwavering commitment to rural Minnesota.   From standing up for reproductive rights to her tireless advocacy for farmers and small-town businesses, Senator Smith has always been a leader on broadband expansion, mental health resources, and rural infrastructure. She understands that a strong Minnesota means investing in every corner of the state, not just the metro areas.   As a former Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senator, and lifelong organizer, she has fought for policies that uplift working families, expand access to healthcare, and ensure that rural voices are heard at the highest levels of government. Her work on agriculture and economic development has left a lasting impact, and her leadership will be deeply missed.   We thank Senator Smith for her service, her dedication, and her belief in the power of rural communities. We look forward to seeing what she does next and know that her work to make Minnesota a better place is far from over.