Cherie Johnson
Candidate for State Senate District 26
1. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Cherie (“shuh-REE”) Johnson, and I am passionate about creating a better future in Minnesota. I am a proud wife, mother, teacher, and Christian. My husband Ben and I have raised our seven children in Southeast Minnesota, and I am determined to make sure Minnesota can always be a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.
I was raised on ethics of hard work – “be the solution, not the problem” – and servant-hearted living. I will be honored to be your state senator, in order to serve you and protect our way of life.
2. Why are you running for office?
I am running for the Minnesota Senate because I believe in a thriving, affordable, and opportunity-rich future for everyone in District 26. I understand that flourishing farms, excellent schools, safe communities, and strong local businesses are critical to who we are — and I am committed to policies that support those priorities. You deserve a voice at the Capitol, and I will be honored to fight for you. I will combat fraud, restore common sense, walk in faith, and work hard. Together, we will restore Minnesota!
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
I plan to get fraud under control, hold fraudsters (and their accomplices) accountable, and restore common sense to Minnesota. We need to close loopholes that have allowed this rampant fraud, and then we need to focus on responsible government spending and fewer regulations. Spending under the DFL has been out of control, and it is hurting everyday Minnesotans. I will work toward affordability, support for seniors and veterans, and real advocacy for local businesses and farms. As a teacher, I will also prioritize excellence in education with a focus on academics.
Jack Hedin
Candidate for State Senate District 26
1. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Jack Hedin (rhymes with green). My wife Jenni McHugh and I have lived in the district since 1992, and raised our three sons here. I’ve served the district for decades, from the Rushford Community Foundation board to Winona Public School board.
I’m founder and owner of Featherstone Farm near Rushford, where we ship semi trailer loads of organic produce weekly. Featherstone is a complex, multi-dimensional business. Building it from scratch has taught me a ton about leadership, organization and management.
In my free time I enjoy working in the woods and playing golf with my family.
2. Why are you running for office?
I have always believed strongly in the idea of public service.
And I believe that this basic idea is on the ballot this fall: are we serious about collaborating across party lines and solving problems? Or are we content to keep pointing fingers at each other and kicking problems down the road?
I believe that now is the time to choose collaboration on everything from making government more accountable to taxpayers, to renewing small town economies. And I believe that an experienced, business minded democrat like myself is well positioned to lead this collaboration and renewal.
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
If elected, I will bring a sharp focus on the value and importance of locally owned small business to St. Paul, and to the DFL in particular.
I will be a strong advocate for
1. Reviewing all current rules and regulations that advantage big corporate owners over locally owned and operated businesses; loosening those regulations on small companies where it makes sense.
2. Auditing all existing state programs for efficiency and accountability to plan, eliminating waste and fraud
3. Protecting public schools, rural clinics, childcare and senior care facilities in the district, from funding cuts originating in Washington, D.C.
Allie Wolf
Candidate for State Representative District 26B
1. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Allie Wolf. I grew up in Spring Valley, served as a cryptolinguist in the Marine Corps, graduated from Winona State University – Rochester with a degree in Computer Science, and am currently a bartender raising two kids in the town my husband and I grew up in. My husband is in IT at Kingsland and Grand Meadow public schools, and before this year’s campaign I also worked at Kingsland as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional.
2. Why are you running for office?
I’m running because as a working-class parent, I know the kinds of struggles families face in today’s economy. I share the same concerns as the voters I talk to; the rising costs of child care, health insurance, and utilities; the lack of affordable housing and rising property taxes; the ethical questions surrounding data centers and artificial intelligence; and how all of these issues will impact our kids’ futures. I want my kids to be able to see a future for themselves here in Southeast Minnesota, but that means electing leaders who will invest in it, and protect it.
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
This first session I will work with other legislators in the House to pass a moratorium of at least one year to pause the construction of new data centers. Minnesota needs time to pass legislation that will protect our communities from potential pollution from data centers, protect our grid, and prohibit community leaders from signing NDAs regarding such projects. We also need legislation that reigns in AI. The changes that this technology brings are many, and Minnesotans have a right to decide how we move forward with it.
Greg Davids
Candidate for State Representative District 26B
1. Tell us about yourself.
I’m State Representative Greg Davids. I’ve lived in Fillmore County nearly my entire life. I work in business and my wife and I own the family farm. My wife Bonnie and I have three grown daughters, three sons-in-law and five grandsons. As your state representative, I’ve fought tirelessly to protect our values and our way of life here in southeastern Minnesota. As your state representative, I have served as chairman of the Minnesota House Taxes Committee numerous times, and it has been an honor to help craft and secure tax relief proposals that benefit low- and middle-class Minnesotans.
2. Why are you running for office?
Because I want to make the lives of Minnesotans more affordable and prevent radical leftists from trying to destroy our state. The last time Democrats controlled state government, common sense disappeared. They blew a $20 billion budget surplus, then raised taxes by another $10 billion; allowed rampant fraud to flourish without oversight; gave illegal immigrants free health care, college tuition and driver’s licenses; and allowed abortion until birth. Now they want to enact climate change legislation that will inevitably cost families $7,000 a year and want biological boys to play in girls sports. Are these your values? They’re not mine.
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
I want to continue addressing the fraud epidemic in this state. $9 billion – that we know about – has been stolen by fraudsters in Minnesota. Last session, I voted for laws that tackle the problem but there’s more work to be done. Every dollar stolen by a thief is one less dollar going to a Minnesotan who truly needs help.
We also need to address affordability for Minnesota’s families and Main Street business owners. Allow them to keep more of what they earn so they can better provide for their families. Significant and permanent tax relief is a must.
Shona Langseth
Candidate for Fillmore County Commissioner, 4th District
1. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Shona Langseth, and I live in Preston with my husband Jared and our son Adak. I grew up in Southeast Minnesota and earned a B.S. in Wildlife Biology, Conservation and Management in Fairbanks, Alaska. I have worked on farms throughout the region and, for the past decade, have advocated for family farms, soil health and clean water through agricultural nonprofits, the Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. Our family has called Preston home for more than a decade, and we are deeply invested in the future of Fillmore County.
2. Why are you running for office?
I’m running because I care about the county and the future of the people who call this place home. I believe in thoughtful leadership and careful, financial accounting. These skills are critical as we consider the communities we want to build and what we want to leave to the next generation. County government can play an important role in strengthening rural communities, supporting working families and making practical investments that keep Fillmore County thriving. There are challenges ahead for the county, and I will be a strong, rational voice at the table as we navigate those decisions.
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
I want to strengthen rural economies and farms, promote soil health for water quality, and invest in infrastructure that serves the whole county. That includes expanding reliable high-speed internet to every household, investing in regenerative practices and new markets for farmers, and exploring solutions for affordable housing and childcare. I also believe Fillmore County should consider a temporary moratorium on proposed data centers while we evaluate their long-term impacts. Finally, with deepening cuts to social programs relied on by hundreds of county families, we need a fiscally responsible plan that protects essential services without placing undue burdens on household budgets.
Justin Redalen
Candidate for Fillmore County Commissioner, 4th District
1. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Justin Redalen and I am running for Fillmore County Commissioner, 4th District. I am a lifelong resident of the 4th district and, along with my wife Kristina, raise beef cattle in Carrolton Township. I am employed at my family’s business, Drury’s Furniture, in Fountain.
I am a 15-year member of the Fountain Fire Department, the president of the Fillmore County Cattlemen’s Association, and serve on the Root Prairie Lutheran Church Cemetery Committee. Previously, I’ve served on the Fillmore County Extension Committee, the Minnesota State Fair 4-H Beef Committee, and the board of the Lanesboro Golf Course.
2. Why are you running for office?
I’m running for Commissioner because I care deeply for the families, farms, businesses, and future of Fillmore County. We must have fresh ideas and strategies for issues of today and for the challenges the Board will face in the future. As a commissioner I will strive to provide a safe and friendly environment for all residents of our county.
Our farmers must be supported through policies that allow them to use best practices to provide stability for future generations and we must foster an environment that allows businesses and their employees to thrive, and families to grow.
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
Commissioners must be conscientious managers of the county’s finite resources. They must hear and address the needs of the citizens, for the purpose of providing a safe and inviting place for all residents. Elected officials must be accountable to the public. In that role I would focus on ensuring the services our county provides, and on which the public depends – Community Services, Highways, Sheriff’s Office, Zoning, and all the others – are managed with accountability in mind, so our invaluable county employees can provide these critical services effectively, while the citizens can be confident their tax dollars are being used responsibly.
Dean Mierau
Candidate for Houston County Commissioner, District 2
1. Tell us about yourself.
Hello, my name is Dean Mierau and I am a longtime resident of one of the best counties in the state! My wife Kim and I raised four boys in Houston County and can say that after serving 28 years in the United States Navy and traveling all over the U.S. and the world I always yearned to return to Houston County! We enjoy the Houston residents, agricultural landscape as well all the recreational opportunities it has to offer! Throughout my life I consider myself a doer and not a talker.
2. Why are you running for office?
Timing is a major component of my decision to run and I think the timing is right for Houston County and myself. We recently sold our business, which freed up time for all of our family. I served my country, served my school board, currently serving Hardwood Country Sportsmans, and I want and am willing to serve Houston County to ensure that county stays on the right trajectory. I believe the county is doing well and my nature is you should always strive to be better.
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
If elected, I want to focus on Houston County processes to ensure that we are Transparent, Efficient and Accountable (TEA) in business practices. I want to ensure that there is a balance between Community, Agriculture and Natural Resources (CAN) and ensure residents have a voice and are heard on these topics. I want to ensure our veterans and first responders have the resources required. I will be a champion of local businesses. I assure you that I would not serve more than two terms (incumbent has served two terms) and look forward to the opportunity.
Eric Johnson
Candidate for Houston County Commissioner, District 2
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Houston County. I started farming in 1984 and currently farm full time. I also serve on the board of directors for Farmers Win Cooperative. I was a Houston Township Supervisor for 22 years and have been a Houston County Commissioner for eight years.
2. Why are you running for office?
I feel it is important to preserve agricultural land as it is the backbone of Houston County and why I strongly support the one dwelling per quarter/ quarter rule in order to limit the density in the ag district. I do support residential growth near our cities. I have a strong commitment to support current land use practices and the use of the county’s natural resources. I also believe it is important to keep the county levy reasonable and to be mindful when spending county dollars.
3. What do you hope to accomplish if you get elected?
I want to continue working for the residents of District 2 by protecting our rural way of life in Houston County, and preserving our wide-open spaces for future generations. There is outside pressure to change how our county looks by allowing more residential housing, building of data centers, building huge transmission lines, and solar and wind farms in our rural areas. These practices do not follow our current land use plan, cause harm to our rural way of life, and will permanently alter how Houston County looks forever. I will vote against these practices.
Candidates represented in this feature each paid $50 to participate.
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