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.

  • Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues.
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Voter Guide

Minnesota State Senate District 53

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.Watch a candidate forum for this race recorded on September 9, 2026.TrueLens Community Media Candidate Profile - Paul CummingsTrueLens Community Media Candidate Profile - Todd Podgorski

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

    Paul Cumings
    (DFL)

  • Candidate picture

    Todd Podgorski
    (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)

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://paulcumings.com
Facebook (Full URL) http://facebook.com/CumingsforMNSenate
Campaign Twitter Handle @paulcumings
Campaign Email paulcumings4senate@gmail.com
When we work together, we can do anything. My priorities include:

- An Affordable Life for All Minnesotans - For too many Minnesotans, our economy isn’t working. I will work to lower the cost of housing, health care, child care, & groceries.

- Strong, High Achieving Fully Funded Public Schools - I will fight to fix the compensatory aid formula and keep educational standards high.

- Clean Water, Air, and Land for Generations to come - I will stand up to polluters and help solve for inflow and infiltration issues, PFAS contamination, and increased tree coverage.

- High Standards for Accountable Government - A lot of people don't trust their government anymore, and I get it. We must account for every dollar and prosecute fraudsters.
Childcare. Groceries. Housing. Health care. Everything costs more, and paychecks aren't keeping up. That is not an accident. Right now, billionaires are running roughshod over our economy, and working families need someone at the Capitol who knows how to fight back. I am working to increase new construction of starter homes, ensure all people have access to low barrier primary care, and to provide low or no cost child care. I also support regulations on price fixing for groceries.
We need to build a MN where everyone thrives, with no exceptions. This starts with taking on our large and persistent achievement gaps in schools head on. We should build on the progress we have seen with interventions like the READ Act. We also need to tackle the crisis of early learning and child care. Our youngest learners deserve a comprehensive strategy to ensure they have a plan to succeed.
Yes, I support a state Equal Rights Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution. The proposed federal Equal Rights Amendment was approved by the Minnesota legislature back in 1973, but didn’t end up receiving enough support under the ratification timelines. We have seen backsliding on fundamental rights in the last few years at the federal level. Ensuring all Minnesotans have equal rights under the Minnesota constitution is an easy yes vote for me.
Environmental pollution and climate change are global threats that impact the health and resilience of Minnesota communities, our environment, and our natural resources. I support a ban on toxic chemicals like paraquat that flow into our water supply. I also support PFAS mitigation, greater resources to cities for use on inflow and infiltration in our water supply, and enhanced regulations to limit toxic runoff.
We need to take on the epidemic of gun violence. Gun violence is the #1 cause of deaths for children in America. I support banning weapons of war from our streets and putting limits on high capacity magazines. Minnesota should dramatically increase our support for mental health including school based interventions and expanding mental health facilities. In addition, the state needs to keep its commitment to local government aid to support our local police and fire departments.
Everyday voters should get to decide who is elected. Too often the avalanche of money from billionaires and corporations have drowned out community voices. That has to stop. I support amending our state constitution to prohibit artificial persons like corporations from contributing to campaigns. We also need original source disclosure. Voters have the right to know who is behind all the spending in elections. And we must reverse Citizens United - either in the courts or in Congress.
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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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