John Hest

I’m running for family farmers fighting to make it. I’m running for fully funded public schools, from Pre-K to university, and the teachers, parents, and students within those schools. I’m running for fairness in tax policy, including equalizing property taxes and providing tax relief to those who need it. I’m running to reinforce healthcare and eldercare infrastructure, ensuring folks have access to necessary services. I’m running for border-to-border rural broadband, rebuilt roads and bridges, and investments and jobs in our rural communities. I’m running to ensure the hardworking folks of northwestern Minnesota have a voice in St. Paul.

My experience in agriculture, my work in education, and my deep roots in this community have all prepared for me for this position. I am an active member of Minnesota Farmers Union, graduating from their New Leader Academy and lobbying in St. Paul and Washington for family farmers and rural communities. I work in higher education, both as a staff member and an instructor, and have seen the challenges facing our schools and students. I’m also the fifth generation of my family to grow up in the Red River Valley and I am committed to bettering this great region.

The biggest challenge facing our district is the cost of living. We have a great opportunity to provide tax relief to Social Security recipients, families with young children, people paying student loans, and more needy populations and putting that money back in Minnesotans pockets would be my top priority. The state must also fully fund our public schools so we can avoid further property tax hikes. Another issue is the myriad challenges facing family farmers; we must defend family farmers and make it easier for beginning farmers to get started with tax credits, Right to Repair, and more.

My top 3 priorities are defending family farmers, fully funding our public schools, and fighting for fairness in taxation. I will fight for farmers, expanding the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit, providing an affordable public option for health insurance, and passing Right to Repair. Second, I will prioritize fully funding our public schools, from Pre-K to college, and ensure that the tax burden is equitably distributed. Finally, I will push hard to get Minnesotans the tax breaks they deserve, including cutting taxes on Social Security income, providing breaks for families paying for childcare, and helping Minnesotans struggling with student loans.

I’m a big believer in our community and technical colleges as a remedy for workforce issues. Investments in trades, healthcare, and similar programs pay big dividends. I support the state’s recent initiative to provide free CNA training to bolster the healthcare workforce. The state needs to incentivize the construction of new affordable housing, as that is a pressing issue in our region. Our region draws in a lot of folks from around the country as we are affordable, family-friendly, and have a great business climate and I would work to make sure it stays that way.

As I previously mentioned, investments in higher education pay big dividends when it comes to economic development, and I support those investments wholeheartedly. I know that state bonding projects bring in a lot of tax dollars and jobs to local communities and support many of the proposals, including continued work on the diversion project, a replacement for the Dilworth Fire Hall, and construction of the Heartland Trail. I also support tax incentives or gran programs for the creation of small businesses in our rural communities; I’m skeptical of tax incentives to lure large corporations, but strengthening local entrepreneurs is important.