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Paul Bolin is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 30B Back Paul Bolin MN House of Representatives House District 30B Otsego, Minnesota I am a fifth-generation resident of central Minnesota. My mom grew up on a farm and reminds me every day that the food we eat is the fruit of the work of farmers across Minnesota and the country. I grew up in a working-class union family and I was the first in my family to go to college. I graduated from the University of Minnesota with degrees in biochemistry and physiology, and went on to earn my medical doctorate after that. I understand that our rural areas have been neglected by politicians for too long. Rural Minnesota holds a special place in my heart, and I am committed to championing policies that will help these communities grow and thrive. paul4mn@gmail.com Donate Website

Become a member of the DFL Rural Caucus today! Join the DFL Rural Caucus The DFL Rural Caucus invites you to become a member. Annual membership in the DFL Rural Caucus is free and open to anyone who completes the form below and who supports the mission and purpose of the Caucus. While not required, voluntary donations are encouraged and appreciated to support the work of the DFL Rural Caucus to advance DFL values and to elect DFL candidates up and down the ballot. Donate to the DFL Rural Caucus Donate to the DFL Rural Caucus to help advance DFL values in Rural Minnesota and to elect DFL candidates up and down the ballot by clicking the button below or by writing a check payable to DFL (write "Rural Caucus" in the memo field) and mail to: Lori Sellner, 221 4th Ave. - Apt. 4, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085. Donate

Veda Kanitz is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 57A Back Veda Kanitz MN House of Representatives House District 57A Lakeville, Minnesota Veda Kanitz is a high school science teacher, Climate Reality Leader, Citizens’ Climate Lobby member, and one of the founding members of the DFL Environmental Caucus. She received the DFL’s Willard Munger award for Distinguished Environmental Stewardship in 2020. Her love of the natural world and desire to leave a healthy environment for her children and grandchildren inform her life’s work. vedaformn@gmail.com Donate Website

Michael Hutchinson is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 20B Back Michael Hutchinson MN House of Representatives House District 20B Zumbrota, Minnesota I'm Michael Hutchinson, please call me Hutch. I'm a patriot, a veteran, and a progressive. I launched my campaign for District 20b in April of last year. I grew up poor and enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school. I served on active duty and in the National Guard, using the GI Bill to earn a degree from Kent State. I've been employed as a marketer for 14 years and I currently work remotely as an operations manager for an environmental testing company from my home in Zumbrota. I've been happily married for almost a decade, and my wife Allyse and I share our lives with three dogs and two birds. mike@vote4hutch.com Donate Website

Edelgard Fernandez Mejia is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 19B Back Edelgard Fernandez Mejia MN House of Representatives House District 19B Owatonna, Minnesota Hey everyone, I'm Edel Fernandez and I'm running for Minnesota House District 19B. I'm running to give voice to the voiceless and to remind those who struggle that they are not alone. I will work hard for each and every person in the district, not just for those who vote for me. I'm running on a campaign of Southern Minnesota values where we take care of those in our community and we respect everyone, even those we disagree with. Where we work together and we win together. edelforhouse@gmail.com Donate Website

How to Craft Effective DFL Messaging for Rural Impact Register Now Sponsored by the DFL Rural Caucus in partnership with National Messaging experts from Connections Lab, George & Lisa Greene and Antonia Scatton Suggested Donation for Registration: $30 per student or $100 per unit (4 students). Classes will be recorded and made available to attendees. This is an online workshop through Zoom. Classes will be held on February 25, March 25, April 22, and May 27 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm CST. This four-part virtual workshop will teach you how to find the value in the message and frame it for more meaningful and productive conversations that have a lasting impact on your audience. Based on field-tested and proven cognitive science research, this series of dynamic webinars is designed to equip rural Democrats with the tools, strategies, and skills needed to amplify our values and expand our influence within rural communities. Participants will gain: Effective Messaging Techniques: Learn how to communicate in a new way that resonates with rural voters, enabling them to internalize our worldview and use it to evaluate policies. This training will focus on making complex ideas relatable and accessible. Community Building for Local Organizers: Discover strategies to foster a strong sense of community within local units. This will empower organizers to draw in more supporters, build momentum, and activate local networks to spread the message. Messaging for Candidates and Elected Officials: Ensure that local candidates and current officeholders feel confident and equipped to align their messaging with our broader strategy, fostering consistency and unity in communication. Strategic Messaging for Key Rural Issues: Develop a comprehensive messaging plan for five critical rural issues, ensuring that the message is clear, compelling, and aligned with local needs and values. Optional Online Discussion Group: An optional space for participants to continue the conversation, share best practices, and exchange lessons learned from the webinars, ensuring ongoing collaboration and improvement. By the end of the series, rural Democrats will be empowered to shape the political narrative in their communities, create meaningful change, and drive collective action for a better future. While this training is not designed to give students a list of exact messages, it will give them a foundation so they can create messaging on any issue that cuts through and connects with whomever they are speaking with. Meet Your Teachers George F. Greene has trained thousands of Democrats in the practice of framing in Minnesota and around the U.S. and has worked in media, political messaging, and activist training for decades. He founded the Connections Lab hosting on-location and online training sessions for Democratic activists. They’ve trained candidates and organizers through partnerships with multiple state organizations including the Minnesota DFL and Missouri, Michigan, Washington, and Georgia State Democratic parties. George has been active in Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and is a long-standing member of the State Central Committee. His work as Chair of MN Congressional District 3 helped make it consistently a national leader in voter contact and voter turnout. Learn more about Connections Lab here: https://connectionslab.org/ In 2023, they joined forces with Antonia Scatton to create the Turnaround Project, a joint project of the Association of State Democratic Committees. For more than 25 years, Antonia has been behind the scenes, working for, training, and advising political campaigns, party committees, and advocacy organizations across the country. She is an expert in political messaging and framing. She studied cognitive linguistics with messaging guru and best-selling author, George Lakoff, and worked closely with him for more than a year to develop practical ways for people to apply his discoveries about the science of messaging in their day-to-day work. Read Antonia’s “Reframing America” Substack here: https://reframingamerica.substack.com/ TESTIMONIAL: 2024 Minnesota Election and How This Messaging Worked in the Field In October of the 2024 cycle, Antonia came to Minnesota and worked closely with the Rachel Bohman for Congress (MN01) campaign to develop and employ strategic messaging. Building off Antonia’s research and work with focus groups, she guided the Bohman team in developing a message around the economy. See this piece for the basic premise of this messaging The Bohman campaign began using this message (almost exclusively) in early October. In every situation, the response was immediate and transformative. Voters at the doors were in tears and told the campaign “that they’d never felt so understood”. Staunch Republicans would immediately agree with the messaging and at one Farm Bureau event, an older, very Republican farmer came up to Rachel and told her he couldn’t wait to tell his son what she’d just said. At a large candidate forum, the waitress at the venue started crying – and sought the candidate out afterwards – when Rachel used this messaging during her speech . This messaging created a connection with the voter which led to a better conversation and created a point of shared values and agreement. As we’ve since heard from nearly every national pundit, focusing on the economy should’ve been our topline message. The Bohman campaign truly feels that this messaging “cracked the code”.

Marisa Ulmen is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 22A Back Marisa Ulmen MN House of Representatives House District 22A Fieldon Township, Minnesota I am a fifth generation farmer from Watonwan County. My husband and I raise crops, non-confinement Berkshire hogs, Nubian dairy goats and broilers. We own a feed mill where we sell all kinds of animal feed made in small batches and use no antibiotics, medicines or hormones. I studied political science, philosophy and economics at MSU. Until I met my husband I was also a single mother for 12 years and know the pressures of making ends meet when working full time, going to school and raising a child. ulmenhouse22a@gmail.com Donate Website

Pete Radosevich is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 11A Back Pete Radosevich MN House of Representatives House District 11A Cloquet, Minnesota Pete Radosevich is an attorney and business person in Carlton County, Minnesota. Pete practices law from his office in Esko, representing people in personal injury cases, divorce, real estate and other issues important to rural community members. He's also owned Esko Pizza Pies in Esko for 17 years, and publishes the Pine Knot News, an award-winning weekly newspaper covering northern Carlton County. He also host the weekly cable access TV show "Harry's Gang" on politics and current events, and writes an award-winning weekly column in his newspaper on local issues. Pete is married to Tara Radosevich and has 3 great children: Tommy, 16; Patrick; 15; and Ellie, 9. Pete@PeteRadosevichForHouse11A.com Donate Website

Rep. Kristi Pursell is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 58A Back Rep. Kristi Pursell MN House of Representatives House District 58A Northfield, Minnesota I’m proud of my Southern Minnesota roots, raised in Rochester, a graduate of St. Olaf College, and a nine-year resident of Northfield where I’m raising my two children. As a community leader, I've built strong partnerships across our district. I served as Executive Director of Clean River Partners for eight years, focusing on the Cannon River watershed, and have been involved with grassroots organizations like the Land Stewardship Project, ISAIAH MN, and TakeAction MN. In my first term in the state legislature, I secured funding to protect our environment, support local farmers, and address nitrate issues in drinking water. I’ve also advocated for people-centered healthcare, housing infrastructure, and supported school districts with the READ Act. Representing rural Minnesotans at the Capitol, I believe true leadership involves partnering with the community to create solutions for all. Grounded in our values, we can build a resilient climate, robust education, strong democracy, and high-quality healthcare system. Good representation means listening to everyone, regardless of race, class, gender, political party, or zip code votekristipursell@gmail.com Donate Website

Angie Craig is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for U.S. House of Representatives in Congressional District 2 Back Angie Craig U.S. House of Representatives Congressional District 2 Eagan, Minnesota I was raised by a single mom and grew up in a mobile home park. I watched my mom work hard and complete her teaching degree over nine years while raising three kids with the help of my grandmother, who herself worked in a union shoe factory well into her 70s. These strong women showed me what grit and determination look like. Like my mom, I worked two jobs and took out a little in student loans to put myself through state college. I started my career as a newspaper reporter and worked my way up over 20 years in business to lead a workforce of 16,000 for a major Minnesota manufacturer. Today, my wife and I are moms to four amazing young men and I am honored to serve in the U.S. Congress. campaign@angiecraig.com Donate Website

Sonja Buckmeier is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 30A Back Sonja Buckmeier MN House of Representatives House District 30A St. Michael, Minnesota Sonja grew up in the small town of Eagle Lake, MN. She earned a Business Administration degree from Mankato State University. Today, she lives in St. Michael with her husband. Together they raised 4 children. Over the last 25 + years she has actively contributed to the community’s growth. Her extensive involvement includes: serving on bond and levy committees, substitute teaching, participating in PTO boards, election judge, scout troop leadership, and church volunteer. Drawing from her professional background in both insurance and education, Sonja aims to utilize her diverse expertise to advocate for the well-being of all Minnesotans and represent her community at the state capitol. sonja@buckmeier4mn.com Donate Website

Lorrie Janatopoulos is the DFL Rural Caucus endorsed candidate running for MN House of Representatives in House District 7B Back Lorrie Janatopoulos MN House of Representatives House District 7B Heikkala Lake UO, Minnesota Lorrie Janatopoulos is a lifelong resident of Northeastern Minnesota, active in public work her entire career with over three decades of experience in workforce and community development. Lorrie has served as a Director at the Department of Employment and Economic Development, as well as the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency. Throughout her career she has championed economic development, affordable housing, and protecting the civil and human rights of all Minnesotans. Lorrie holds a Master of Public Affairs from the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota, was a 2016 Bush Fellow, and named by the AARP as a “50 over 50 Disruptor” for her fearless work fighting for the Range. info@lorrieforhouse.com Donate Website