I was born and raised in Fosston, on a farm in the northwest corner of Minnesota. I graduated from Fosston High School in 1978 and went on to the Detroit Lakes Area Vocational Technical Institute, where I trained in auto body work. That mix of farm background and hands-on trade shaped how I've thought about work, and about government, ever since.
In 1981, I took over Lakeland Greenhouse, the family business my parents had started in 1973. I ran it for the next 23 years, until 2004. Since then, I've made my living in construction and carpentry, and I've been a self-employed businessman for more than three decades. Running a small business in Greater Minnesota teaches you a lot about where state government helps and where it gets in the way, and how far a dollar has to stretch when you're the one paying every bill.
My wife Cindy and I live in Fosston, and we have six children. Family is the reason any of this matters. The decisions made in St. Paul reach every kitchen table in the district, and when I vote on a bill, I'm thinking about the families raising kids up here, the farmers and business owners trying to make a go of it, and the seniors who built this part of the state and deserve to be looked after.
I won my first election in 2012 and served ten years in the House representing District 2B, working on committees that dealt with environment and natural resources, Greater Minnesota's economy, and Legacy funding. In 2022, the voters of Senate District 2 sent me to the Minnesota Senate, where I now represent Lake of the Woods, Beltrami, Clearwater, Mahnomen, Becker, Cass, Hubbard, and Itasca Counties. It's a big district and a beautiful one, and it's the honor of my career to represent it.
The work in St. Paul is the same as the work of running a farm, a greenhouse, or a small business. You keep your books straight, you don't spend money you don't have, and you answer to the people who trusted you with it. That's the standard I've held state government to since the day I was sworn in, and it's the standard I'll keep holding it to.
LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS FOR GREATER MINNESOTA
We can hold state government accountable for how it spends every dollar.
We can stop the mandates and regulations crush families and businesses up north.
We can build a Minnesota our kids and grandkids can build a future in.
