Once again, the DFL candidate for Congress's 8th District is from Crow Wing County. For the third consecutive election, the DFL endorsee, and almost certain primary winner, is a candidate who grew up in Echoland.
For six years we had Rick Nolan, from Mission Township. Two years ago our candidate was Joe Radinovich, from Crosby.
Now, the DFL has endorsed and is supporting Quinn Nystrom, of Baxter.
Only in her 30s, Quinn is best known in the area for her tireless efforts to reduce the costs of health care; in particular those exorbitant drug costs in treating type 1 diabetes.
At her young age, she has already logged in more than 20 years of strong activism in an effort to find a cure, or better care and lesser cost, in dealing with the disease, and at the same time working overall to reduce our prevalent prescription drug profiteering.
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Quinn has lobbied extensively in St. Paul at our Legislature and made numerous trips to testify and advocate in Washington, D.C. before Congress. She hasn’t just followed the footsteps of her mother, Rachel Nystrom, a longtime Crow Wing County commissioner; she has continued and expanded the family tradition.
Quinn started in public office early, gaining election to the city council of Baxter while still in her 20s, and ran her own campaign to gain that office. She served well, in bipartisan fashion, and exhibited a common sense approach, uncommon for her age.
Throughout her teens and 20s, Quinn was a prolific fundraiser, seeking monies to fight the diabetes that afflicts her, her brother and so many others. Her activism has gained her communication and association with people all across the country.
The coronavirus has squelched typical campaigning this year, and certainly limited voter contact. Quinn is doing the best she can to make her presence known all across the vast 8 th District. To her credit she is running a refreshingly positive campaign, avoiding any personal attack on the incumbent. She is doing so with a voluminous force of volunteers from all across the district; a volunteer force that truly encompasses from the teens to the 80s-plus.
After two years in office, most of you know the incumbent little more now than when he started. He turned a lackluster campaign, hugely affected by the late infusion of outside millions, into a lackluster term that has left little positive mark on Echoland.
Conversely, if you don’t know Quinn now, you will in less than two years. If elected, her central Congressional office will be in Brainerd, and it’s just a fact of life that a lot of people and activities will flow to and from such an office, to the benefit of our whole area.
One of the less noted, but important, advantages if Quinn wins this fall is that with redistricting next year, after the new census is completed - like it or not, it is quite likely that Minnesota will become a seven Congressional District state, and the 8 th will be no more.
It is a political fact that the Congress people then in office will have a lot to say about drawing the new district lines/boundaries.
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It is a geographical fact that a location in north central Minnesota is a logical choice for centering a huge new northern district. We in Echoland will likely be in a district that goes farther west, so having a Congress person with a main office in Brainerd would be a decided advantage.
We could become a bustling center of political activity, rather than the forgotten fringe that we are now. Technology may have minimized distances, but it is still a lot better to a have Congress person from next door.
Quinn Nystrom for Congress. You and all of Echoland will be better for it.
