Jake Johnson Launches General Election Campaign In Front of Finstad’s Closed District Office

The morning, after winning the DFL primary in Minnesota's first congressional district, Jake Johnson held a press conference outside Congressman Brad Finstad's district office — closed at 11AM on a Wednesday, even with Congress out of session. Jake laid out the choice facing voters in November: who will lower costs, take on corruption, and show up for southern Minnesota?

"It's humbling that thousands of southern Minnesotans have put their faith in me to be their voice in Washington — that's not a responsibility I take lightly," said Jake Johnson. "We started this campaign by listening, and when we win in November, we're going to take that same voice to the halls of Congress."

Photo courtesy of Jake Johnson for Congress. Media use permitted with attribution.

Jake, who has taught high school math for 20 years, told reporters the math isn't adding up for working families — and pointed to Finstad's record to prove it: from voting for tariffs costing local families over $2,500 this year, to voting to raise health insurance premiums $229 a month while taking nearly $60,000 from health care industry and pharmaceutical companies. Jake also pointed out how Finstad has taken over $20,000 from a Chinese state-owned corporation and over $25,000 from the big tech and utility companies behind data centers.

It’s no wonder Finstad received an F from the nonpartisan Political Integrity Index (Jake earned an A), and won’t host a single in-person town hall in his 4+ years in Congress. Meanwhile, last night, Jake held his 12th town hall in Albert Lea — one of 21 he has pledged, one in every county, before voting starts. He also invited Finstad to sign his Taxpayer Protection Pledge, or explain what in it he objects to.

"I'm just a broke kid from Stewartville who got to live his American dream right here in southern Minnesota, because we had a deal in this country: a promise that if you work hard, you can make it," said Johnson. "Today in Washington, they've broken their end of the deal. I'm running for Congress so that the next kid from small-town Minnesota can live the same American dream that I got to live."

Jake is holding two town halls this weekend — one in Rochester on Saturday, and another in Red Wing on Sunday. Both are open to the public.

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