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My Point of View by Robert Hoffman

We simply have a great summer of local politics ahead. The first official day of summer has happened and along with summer’s baseball, boating and barbecuing comes campaigning. The local endorsed candidates are all up and running and are a great slate we can be proud of has been picked.

There will be many opportunities to meet each of the endorsed candidates and because of Albert Lea’s success in recent elections and the respect we’ve earned statewide, we are a favorite destination for campaign visits by all candidates.

The Third of July Parade in Albert Lea is one of the state’s best parades. This year’s will be an awesome parade to watch and participate in. With the construction completed on Bridge Avenue, how beautiful Fountain Lake looks and with a new water tower reaching up to soon say hi to our skyline, what an absolutely great reason to show off Albert Lea.

There will be a special guest participating in the parade this year. Governor candidate Dr. Scott Jensen will be in Albert Lea walking in the parade. Though Dr. Jensen has visited Albert Lea many times before, it is truly something awesome to see Albert Lea from its Third of July Parade, and we are looking forward to showing off our community to him.

Attorney General candidate Jim Schultz, Secretary of State candidate Kim Crocket and State Auditor candidate Ryan Wilson have each also visited Albert Lea and may either walk in the parade or visit the Freeborn County Fair as well.

It is exciting to have statewide candidates choose to visit Albert Lea, but our local endorsed candidates are no strangers to being seen all over town. U.S. Congress candidate Brad Finstad will also be participating in the Third of July Parade. Brad Finstad is the endorsed candidate chosen to replace our Congressman Jim Hagedorn in Washington, D.C.

State Sen. Gene Dornink and state Reps. Peggy Bennett and Patty Mueller are our local elected officials whose faces we’ve seen a hundred times and that we are proud to have looking out for us locally and in St Paul while in session. Each will be participating in our parade as well, and we look forward to their reelections.  

The Freeborn County Fair is a few weeks after the July Fourth celebrations, in early August, and will be equally as welcoming to the statewide and local candidates. The booths under the grandstands and the performances in front of the crowds in the stands will all prove to be well worth attending. Albert Lea is very much a place to visit each of this year’s endorsed candidates and shake all of their hands. We have worked very hard to be a well-respected region politically and will continue to earn that.

After the parades are done and the fair is over and leading up to the Aug. 9 and November elections will also be the campaign headquarters to visit in the heart of downtown Albert Lea again this year in the exact same spot it has been for years now on Broadway. We have a lot to be proud of, we have worked very hard to earn the respect of the state and little old Albert Lea is a pretty amazing place to be this summer.

Robert Hoffman is chairman of the Freeborn County GOP Party.