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There’s a Democratic primary race for the state House and Senate seats representing the northern half of West St. Paul. Three candidates are running for Senate District 65 and two candidates are running for House District 65B (newly redrawn with this year’s redistricting). The winner in each race will advance to the general election in November. We’ve asked the candidates a series of questions to see where they stand on the issues. We’ll share one question and the responses at a time leading up to the primary election on August 9. See our 2022 primary voter’s guide for more.
Previously, we asked about the candidates’ top priorities, representing West St. Paul, and the budget surplus. This time we’re asking about differences in Democratic positions. There’s also a series of yes/no questions about basic political positions in our printable voter’s guide.
This district is slanted strongly Democratic, so this primary election is likely the real contest. In recent years the Democratic Party has ranged from far-left progressives to centrists with plenty in between. Where do you see yourself in that debate and how does the party move forward?
We posed this question to all candidates. Here are their responses:
Candidates for State House District 65
Anna Botz
[No response]
María Isa
The real political spectrum we should be looking at is a spectrum of accountability: are you accountable and connected directly to community voices, or are you accountable to special interests opposed to the best intentions of the community? Are you accountable to families, workers, and small neighborhood businesses, or to Big Pharma and ideologies of greed and hate? The time is now for community-centered and future-focused leadership.
Candidates for State Senate District 65
Zuki Ellis
[No response]
Sheigh Freeberg
I’m a Union Leader, a Progressive, and a Democratic Socialist candidate. For me, this isn’t about being on a political spectrum, it’s about fighting everyday to make sure that working people and their families can go to bed comfortably and people are put before profit.
Sandy Pappas
I see myself as a pragmatic progressive. I have strong progressive values but I want to get things done—that means sometimes compromising to make progress even if its not as much as I want.
Vote on August 9
The primary election is on Tuesday, August 9. Learn more about where and how to vote. You can also vote early with an absentee ballot, either by mail or by stopping at the Dakota County offices.
See our 2022 primary voter’s guide for more on the candidates and other races.
Thank you to the candidates for taking the time to respond to our questions.
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