Mindy Kimmel

NEW ULM — Thursday, Mindy Kimmel, candidate for Minnesota House 16B was unanimously endorsed by the Minnesota DFL.

Kimmel said the DFL conducted online balloting due to the coronavirus from April 25 through May 4 and she unanimously received the endorsement from the party to run. Kimmel personally thanked the delegates who took the time to vote for her in her run for state representative.

Kimmel said she is running on the same issues as two years ago, but said there is a greater need now.

“COVID-19 has exposed issues we have in rural Minnesota,” she said.

Broadband access is a crucial need. Kimmel said with so many people working from home now the need for high speed internet access is a necessity. For many in rural Minnesota the connection is no longer sufficient.

Equal access to healthcare is another top issue. Kimmel is calling for access to healthcare regardless of income. She said the employer offered healthcare as a whole is not enough.

“As workers lose their jobs they also lose healthcare,” she said. Without equal access to healthcare, illnesses go untreated and risk the health of everyone.

Kimmel also wants to revitalize rural communities by stimulating small businesses, supporting agriculture, and strengthening PreK-12 education.

Kimmel has supported the loan to small businesses as a result of COVID-19 shutdown, but she wants to close the loopholes that allowed big businesses to take money intended for small businesses.

Kimmel wants to seek greater funding for public schools to take some of the burden off local taxpayers.

Kimmel previously ran for the same seat in 2018, but lost to Rep. Paul Torkelson R-Hanksa. She will once again run against Torkelson this November.

Asked why she is running again after her defeat two years ago, Kimmel said. “I’ve always believed the things worth fighting for, you won’t necessarily get the first time.”

Kimmel added that she believed the district deserved to be represented by the people here instead of donors outside the district.