To the editor:

We need a change in Minnesota. Not our underwear — our leadership. It doesn’t pass the smell test.

We have to start at the top with all the Democrats: Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison and U.S. Sens. Klobuchar and Tina Smith, but they both aren’t up for re-election in 2022. We also have many Democratic mayors who should be replaced.

A couple reasons why Walz should be replaced is his handling of the riot in 2020, where he left the rioters burn down the police precinct in Minneapolis, burn down whole streets and many businesses that were never replaced His handling of COVID-19 pandemic, where he shut down schools, businesses and churches. His handling of the pandemic was a disaster.

He was going to give us the taxpayers an “income tax rebate.” The frontline people got paid, but the ordinary taxpayer didn’t get theirs. What happened to that money?

On Oct. 10 we had a federal holiday, Columbus Day, and we have no Columbus statue at the state Capitol anymore. Certain people tore down the statue of Columbus during the riots in 2020 and Walz and Ellison left the people who tore down the statue without any penalty or jail time. These people should all be replaced, they don’t pass the smell test.

Another person who doesn’t pass the smell test is U.S. Rep Ilham Abdullah Omar, Democrat, who needs to be replaced. Cicely Davis, a Republican, would pass the smell test.

All Democrats who hold state offices should be replaced.

The Republican candidates that will pass the smell test are Dr. Scott Jensen and Lt. Gov. Matt Birk, Attorney General Jim Schultz and other state offices. We have no senator candidates in Minnesota but we will have eight congressional districts, and all eight candidates would pass the smell test. I live in District 1, so I vote for Brad Finstad.

There are many other Republicans running for the Senate in Iowa, Colorado, Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia to name a few, and maybe you already sent them a donation.

This is a very important election. If you can’t vote for them, a donation would help them as much. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

Harvey Fruhwirth

New Ulm