MN-HD18A: Southern Minnesota House District's history of flip-flopping attracts lots of outside funding

Last weekend a group of volunteers met at Nicollet Mart, the only gas station in the rural town of Nicollet. It’s co-owned by Republican hopeful Erica Schwartz. She is a first-time candidate who is hoping to unseat incumbent DFL Rep. Jeff Brand and turn Minnesota House District 18A red.

The volunteers set out to canvass. In pairs they walked through the autumn leaves, knocked on doors and stuck literature into the storm doors if no one answered.

Schwartz said being new to campaigning she had to do a lot of learning.

“It’s been around-the-clock work,” she said. “It’s a 7-day job running a campaign, and also being a small business owner. I’m here at my business. I also work an 8-hour job as well. So, it’s been quite, quite some long days.”

In the 2022 election, Brand won the seat by just 411 votes — one of the slimmest margins among all state House races.



https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/11/01/southwest-minnesota-district-18-history-of-flip-flopping-attracts-outside-funding