Between elections, it is important to remain active and contact your representatives.  Let them know that you support actions or votes they are taking, and also to let them know you don’t support what they are doing. 

Here are some tools that will help you stay up to date on legislation hearings and other activities to help you be an active activist.

 

Did you know that you could make a donation to us, and the state would give you a refund for it? 

Have you heard of the Political Contribution Refund program?  Registered voters who contribute to a registered political party are eligible to apply for a refund of their contribution. Only monetary contributions, and not donations of goods or services, qualify for the refund.

The maximum refund contributors may receive is $50 per person, or $100 for married couples. Individuals may file only one refund application per year.  

Click here to visit our Donation page for more information, and a link to the refund form.

So you’re thinking of running for public office…

You’ve been thinking it’s time I stepped up to the plate and run for public office.  Maybe it’s the Township Board, School Board, Mayor or City Council, County Board or Board of Soil and Water. These offices are all non partisan except for the largest cities and counties in Minnesota and really are focused on overseeing the various levels of government. Over the years I’ve see many times people elected to an office on a single issue and they are going to charge that issue no matter what. Then they come to find out that most boards and councils are policy boards and the Superintendent, City or County Administrator actually runs the entity for the board or council. If after realizing all this you want to run for that office, I say more power to you.

Of course if you are looking at running for the State House or Senate Offices you cross over into a very partisan world compared to local government. There are two schools of thought on running for higher office. The route for me was being in local government for fourteen years on the North Branch School Board for ten years and the Chisago County Board for four years before I ran for the State Senate. I like this model because you learn how government works and spend time at the Capital in support of various bills and learn how the process works. The downside is you can develop baggage on votes you’ve taken at the local level.

The second school of thought is running for the Legislature without having held any office. Both ways work and with never having held an elected position you don’t have the baggage that some votes you take at the local level could make a nice campaign flyer against you.

It’s been one of the great honors of my life to have held elected office for eighteen years from School Board to County Board to the State Senate. If you decide to run your family needs to be behind you 100% and they will be in parades, fairs and phone calling for you.

After all this, you still want to run, give me a call and we can work on a plan for your campaign for filing to Election Day!

Thanks Rick Olseen

If you are interested in running, click here to send us an email and we will get you in touch with Rick.

 

Visit our events calendar and join us at one of our upcoming events.

 

 

Prepared and paid for by MN. DFL Senate District 32
Todd Maki, Treasurer, 44350 Government Rd.  Harris, MN 55032