U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad announces re-election bid
Mar. 10—ROCHESTER — Rep. Brad Finstad said he will seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.
Finstad has represented Minnesota's First Congressional District since winning a special election in August 2022 following the death of Jim Hagedorn. He won his first election in November 2022 and then was reelected in November 2024.
"It has been an honor of a lifetime to represent my friends and neighbors across southern Minnesota in Congress," said Finstad in a statement released Monday, March 10. "Under Biden and the Democrats, we saw chaos on our border, out of control inflation, and skyrocketing national debt. The American people voted for us to take action to ensure we leave a strong nation to our children and grandchildren.
"There is a lot of hard work to be done, but I know America's best days are still ahead of us," he said.
Finstad's announcement comes as calls for the Republican congressman to hold in-person town hall meetings have grown from protesters and area media outlets. While Finstad has met with constituents in other settings, he has so far refrained from the give-and-take characteristic of town hall meetings where he would likely face criticism.
Republicans have been advised to scrap town halls as protests have erupted over cuts to federal employees and programs carried out by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, a newly formed agency focused on slashing federal spending. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged GOP lawmakers to stop conducting in-person town halls as the GOP faces angry crowds opposing the Trump administration's federal budget cuts.
Finstad, a New Ulm farmer, previously served three terms in the Minnesota Legislature. He also served as state director for USDA Rural Development in Minnesota under the first Trump administration.
Finstad easily won re-election in 2024 against DFL opponent Rachel Bohman 59% to 42% to represent a district that has increasingly tilted rightward in the last several elections. The last Democrat to hold office representing the 1st District, which stretches across southern Minnesota, was Gov. Tim Walz, who held it from 2006 to 2017.
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