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 Senate District 42

What your state legislature does affects many facets of your life—the taxes you pay, the highways on which you drive, public schools, the state-supported colleges and universities you or your children might attend, the state parks that provide recreation for you and your family, social programs, funding for the judicial system.Senate - “Upper chamber” with 67 districts (redistricting takes place every 10 years following the census). Senators typically serve 4 year terms.CCX Media - Candidate Statement - Kevin Peterson (none provided)CCX Media - Candidate Statement - Bonnie WestlinWatch the latest candidate forum for this race here (September 23, 2026).

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  • Candidate picture

    Kevin Peterson
    (Rep)

  • Candidate picture

    Bonnie Westlin
    (DFL)

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)

Do you support the adoption of a ballot issue to add the Equal Rights Amendment into the Minnesota State Constitution - why or why not? (500 characters)

What legislation, if any, would you support to protect clean air and water in Minnesota? (500 characters)

What legislation, if any, would you support to meet the need for safe communities? (500 characters)

What changes to legislation would you support to reduce the influence of big money in elections? (500 characters)

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Campaign Website http://www.kpformn.com
Facebook (Full URL) http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590344957151
Campaign Twitter Handle @kevinpetersonMN
Campaign Email kevin.peterson@kpformn.com
https://www.kpformn.com/

https://www.kpformn.com/quick_share_campaign_summary

https://www.youtube.com/@KevinPetersonMNSenate
https://www.kpformn.com/kevin_peterson_issues_platform
https://www.kpformn.com/kevin_peterson_issues_platform
https://www.kpformn.com/kevin_peterson_issues_platform
https://www.kpformn.com/kevin_peterson_issues_platform
https://www.kpformn.com/kevin_peterson_issues_platform
https://www.kpformn.com/kevin_peterson_issues_platform
My top three priorities as a legislator will continue to be investment in SD42, public safety, and education. I’m focused on investing in our district to improve and maintain our infrastructure while creating well-paying jobs, which supports a healthy economy for all. I’m focused on ensuring that everyone in Minnesota can live in a gun-violence-free community, achieved through comprehensive legislation. Finally, I’m committed to continuing to fund our public K-12 schools, particularly special education and ESL services, because all students deserve access to a supportive and high-quality education. I’ve already been focusing on these priorities, and I want to keep building on the results I’ve already delivered.
Supporting Minnesota’s economy and ensuring that people can afford their lives is critical. While the federal government drives gas and grocery costs up, I’m focused on policies that put money back in Minnesotans’ pockets, because an affordable economy is a vibrant one. The tax credits that the DFL has delivered support homeowners and parents who struggle with rising costs, and I’ll continue to bring state investment to this district to create jobs and boost our local economy.
I believe in addressing systemic racism and the disparities it causes across the state. Some of my top legislative priorities for the coming session include holding ICE accountable for their unconstitutional and discriminatory practices during Operation Metro Surge, as well as curbing the invasive use of Flock cameras, which disproportionately impact our BIPOC neighbors. Finally, I’m committed to ending housing discrimination and inequity in employment and education through legislation.
I wholeheartedly support the adoption of a ballot issue to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the MN State Constitution, and voted to move the 2025 bill through the Judiciary committee. Equal rights should be enshrined in our Constitution, to safeguard progress from being reversed by future legislatures, and all Minnesotans deserve access to equal protection under the law, regardless of sex, gender, or any other immutable characteristic. I carried an ERA bill in 2025, and intend to do so again.
Protecting clean water and air is a multifaceted but top priority for me in the Senate. I supported Minnesota’s clean energy by 2040 initiative, as well as other regulatory laws. I’m ready to codify protections for our Boundary Waters to protect some of our cleanest air and water from mining, and support strong regulations on data centers, which negatively impact access to and quality of water when they are built. I will also work to further regulate and limit pollutants in our water supply.
I will support a full assault weapons ban with a magazine capacity limit, which is a critical first step towards ending gun violence and building safer communities. I’m also committed to banning firearms on the Capitol complex, and passing laws that require gun owners to report lost and stolen firearms and allow colleges and universities to regulate firearm possession on campus. Finally, I’ll always keep advocating for mental health and safety resources at schools to protect our children.
As the acting Elections chair this legislative session, I was proud to champion free, fair, and safe elections in 2026. I carried campaign finance reform bills to limit the influence of big money in our elections and protect voters, and will continue to improve transparency and reporting requirements for Independent Expenditure groups. I’m also committed to ending scam PACs, and passing the anti-bribery bill to prevent wealthy donors from purchasing votes.
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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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