We endorsed Jake Ross (33A), Josiah Hill (33B) and Jen Fox (41B) for Minnesota House of Representatives.
Our strength as a nation and a state comes from the people – an informed electorate. As voters, we have a responsibility to understand the values of the candidates who we support and may become our representatives in government.
This year, we at St. Croix Valley Indivisible have undertaken candidate endorsements. We have intentionally set out to know the candidates who are running for the Minnesota House of Representative, understand if their values align with ours, and develop a transparent and fair process to decide which candidates we will support as an organization.
We focused on the topics of most interest to our issue teams, whose work centers on democracy, climate justice, and health justice. We asked the candidates if they would support specific legislation that would indicate to us how the candidate felt about the issues. The candidate questionnaire can be found here. We also asked more informally about the progress of their campaign, and if they had the chance, the one thing they would like to pass into law.
We will urge them, once elected, to partner with us to defend policies centered on inclusion and equity that strengthen our democracy, protect our natural world, and help Minnesotans thrive.
The candidates for the Minnesota House of Representatives who chose to seek our endorsement are Jake Ross (33A), Josiah Hill (33B), and Jen Fox (41B). We interviewed them and decided to endorse all 3.
Check the SCVI biweekly newsletter and SCVI Facebook page for updates on ways to support these campaigns. Sign up for our newsletter.
Jake Ross is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 33A. His Republican opponent is the incumbent, Patti Anderson, who was elected for the 2023-2024 biennium. They are running unopposed in their respective primaries on August 13, 2024.
Mr. Ross is a Forest Lake resident, and is an accountant with a degree in economics. His district is heavily favored to vote Republican. His opponent won her seat in 2022 with 55.4% of the vote. Jake said he recognizes that it’s a tough district, but he feels that it’s important to present alternative solutions to state problems and give the voters a clear choice.
What’s the one thing that he would like to pass into law to help his constituency? He said he would like to improve availability and affordability of child care for the parents of Minnesota. Learn more about Jake at his Facebook page and website.
Josiah Hill is running for re-election on the DFL ticket for the Minnesota House. He is the incumbent representative for District 33B, having assumed office in January, 2023, for a 2-year term. His Republican opponent is Jessica Johnson. Each will run unopposed in their respective primaries on August 13th, 2024
Josiah Hill defeated Mark Bishofsky in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 33B on November 8, 2022, with 53.9% of the vote. The district is judged “DFL Likely Safe” in 2024.
Josiah is a Stillwater resident. His career experience includes working as an English teacher and assistant principal with Stillwater Area Public Schools. We asked what he felt was the one thing he would like to see passed, if he had to choose just one. He said that for the future of his daughters, it would be the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment.
You will learn more about Mr. Hill on his legislative website and Facebook page.
Jen Fox (DFL) is running for election to the Minnesota House of Representatives to represent District 41B. This is an open seat, as first-term incumbent Shane Hudella, a Republican, did not seek a second term. Ms. Fox’s Republican opponent is Tom Dippel. He was defeated by Judy Seeberger in the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 41 in 2022 by 321 votes.
In the past, the district has generally voted Republican, but Biden and Walz won their vote in 2020, and 2022, respectively. It is judged “GOP, a race to watch”.
Jen Fox is a resident of Hastings and serves on the City Council. As co-owner of Hastings' Spiral Brewery, she feels she can understand the importance of small businesses for the unity and prosperity of communities. When we interviewed her, she especially made a point of speaking to the importance of having small businesses at the table when developing legislation that will affect them.
Learn more about Jen on her website and Facebook page.
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