Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

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Voter Guide

Minnesota State House District 18A

State Representatives serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the state legislature. They write and vote on legislation to create, repeal, or change state laws affecting many issues, like health care, the environment, and the economy. They also vote on state taxes and the state spending. A candidate forum for this race is available at https://youtu.be/JzqJas3GG6g. More MN forums are available at https://www.lwvmn.org/2024-candidate-forums.

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

  • Candidate picture

    Jeff Brand
    (DFL)

  • Candidate picture

    Erica Schwartz
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (750 characters)

What will you do to support a vibrant economy across Minnesota and to address inflation? (500 character)

What legislation, if any, would you support to address racial or ethnic disparities in Minnesota? (500 characters)

What legislation, if any, would you support to address climate change and its effects in Minnesota? (500 characters)

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Campaign Website http://www.brandforhouse.org
Facebook (Full URL) http://www.brandforhouse.org
Campaign Twitter Handle @BrandforMN
Campaign Email jeff@brandforhouse.org
Contact Phone 507-380-0510
website www.brandforhouse.org
My top three priorities are to fully fund public education, to create a fairer tax system, and to strengthen our local economy.

Focusing on all three of these issues will help create a Minnesota that is prepared for a more successful future.
There are a few ways that the Legislature can easily lower the cost of living in our state. Drug manufacturers must now answer to the newly created Prescription Drug Affordability Board before they can raise the cost of drugs – the strongest board of its’ kind in the nation. Eleven corporations own and sell the vast majority of what you buy in a grocery store today and I believe we can better address anti-monopoly policies. We can build a more local distributed food system to support local food.
These disparities exist in housing, education and health care. we spent $1 billion to create a more robust system for addressing housing access, which includes down payment assistance, and a crackdown on predatory lending. We provided ethnic studies education while addressing food insecurity, mental health challenges, and language barriers. We also tackled patients being turned away due to medical debt – which disproportionately impacting people of color and our indigenous community members.
I supported the 2040 zero carbon plan for energy development and policies that bring wind and solar development to private and public property. I also authored HF 2602, which created a reduction in carbon intensity in transportation fuels fuels without forcing drivers to purchase new electric vehicles by using homegrown crops developed at the U of M. of this new fuel standard, we would generate revenue to expand our electric vehicle infrastructure without taxpayer funding.
Campaign Website http://EricaForMN.org
Facebook (Full URL) http://Facebook.com/EricaSchwartzMN
Campaign Twitter Handle @EricaSchwartzMN
Campaign Email Erica4House@gmail.com
website EricaForMN.org
If elected, my top concerns include permanent tax relief so that moms and dads can afford to put dinner on the table, public safety so families can feel safe about their children playing in the neighborhood again, and restoring our schools to scholarly institutes where students can once again meet standards.
Time after time, history has shown us that government overspending is the most significant contributor to inflation. As your State Representative, I promise to cut spending to bring down inflation in Minnesota and also cut taxes so Minnesotans can have more money in their pockets and so we avoid the currently projected structural deficit that reckless spending has put us on the path to.
As a Mexican American woman, this is an issue that touches near and dear to my heart. What we need, as a state and a nation, is to stop dividing everyone into individual groups. I don't care if someone is black, white, Asian, Latino, Indigenous, or of any other ethnicity. What matters to me is that we all bleed the same blood and that every Minnesotan, regardless of race or creed, deserves love and respect.
We are truly blessed in Minnesota to have such beautiful land. With our 10,000 lakes, many beautiful forests, and state parks, we must ensure they are upkept and tirelessly protected. As your State Representative, I will embrace an all-of-the-above energy approach that is both fiscally and environmentally responsible. We can protect our lands without hurting Minnesota families, and if you elect me, I intend to do just that.
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The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

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