Overview of the Midterm Candidates

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Dean Philips and Erik Paulsen District 3 U.S House

Jazmine Borreson

Online Visuals Editor

Erik Paulsen (Republican) and Dean Phillips (Democrat) are the two candidates running in district three, which includes Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, Edina, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Wayzata, Long Lake and Orono.

Erik Paulsen is known to have a voice on issues important to our state, and our communities. Paulsen has four daughters with his wife and they live in Eden Prairie  

Paulsen is a Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, a bicameral Congressional Committee composed of ten members from the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Paulsen studies and performs research on matters relating to the U.S. economy, and advises Congress on how to best spur economic growth and create jobs, according to paulsen.house.gov.

Dean Phillips was a smart and awarded son, father of two, and a businessman. Growing up, he learned the value of hard work.

Philips graduated from Brown University in 1991 and moved back to Minnesota, where he joined a start-up business that produced cycling apparel and equipment.

After his father passed in 2011, he left Phillips Distilling to join a small gelato business in which he had invested. His partners Josh Hochschuler and Steve Gill built Talenti into America’s largest gelato brand and one of the best-selling ice creams in the country.

In 2015 Philips partnered with fellow entrepreneur Ben Hertz to open Penny’s Coffee — winner of the City Pages “Best Coffee Shop in the Twin Cities” in 2017. Penny’s is a small business with two locations which they now plan to expand the business by putting employees first and making livable wages a founding principle, according to Phillips for congress.

Karin Housley (Republican) and Tina Smith (Democrat) are the candidates for the U.S Senate special election.

Karin Housley was born and raised in South St. Paul. She has a Communications degree from New York State University. Housley owns and operates a real estate business. Married to Phil Housley, and lives in St. Mary’s Point. Karin has Four grown children, two grandsons. She was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012, chairs Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, according to housleyforsenate.

Tina Smith came to Minnesota 34 years ago with her husband, Archie, to work at General Mills. They have two sons and two daughters-in-law. She got involved in politics by volunteering on local campaigns while she was a small-business owner. In the U.S., Senate Tina works to ensure Minnesotans have the freedom and opportunity to live the lives they want, according to smith.senate.gov.

Jim Newberger (Republican) and Amy Klobuchar (Democrat) are the candidates for the U.S. Senate general election.

Jim Newberger is a lifelong Minnesotan; he went to Hopkins Lindbergh High School and is a St. Cloud State University graduate. For 30 years,  Newberger was a Paramedic at a level I trauma center in Twin Cities. Newberger is also a Christian Missions team leader and has been a member of the Becker Planning Commission for two years. He was a  state representative for three terms and vice chairman. According to jimforussenate

Amy Klobuchar, since a young age, has been lead by her values she learned growing up in Minnesota.  She Serves in the U.S. Senate. Klobuchar wants to work with both political parties Democrats to strengthen the economy and support families, workers and businesses. In 2016, Klobuchar was ranked first among all 100 senators for bills enacted into law, according to klobuchar.senate.gov.