WELLS &8212; By a unanimous vote on the first ballot, the Senate District 24 DFL convention endorsed John Branstad as the District 24B DFL candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives. The endorsing convention was held Saturday in Wells.

Retired state Rep. Henry Kalis of Walters nominated Branstad, praising his strong work ethic, positive attitude and focus on results. Good Thunder resident Lee Hiller seconded the nomination and highlighted Branstad&8217;s commitment to getting to know the people in the district. Hiller also spoke about Branstad&8217;s desire to seek first-hand information about issues facing the voters of District 24B and noted Branstad&8217;s endorsement by the AFL-CIO.

Branstad accepted the nomination by pledging to work together with people to find common ground for working on solutions to the issues facing southern Minnesota. He noted healthcare reform, school funding and economic opportunities as significant issues in the upcoming election.

Branstad lives in Madison Lake and works as a software engineer for DayPort, a computer software company in Mankato. He was born and raised in St. James, and is a graduate of St. James Public High School and St. Olaf College.