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I first met Joe Staloch at our Freeborn County DFL Saturday coffee. He was quiet, listened and spoke thoughtfully. He continued to come, month after month, quickly becoming an integral part of the group. We were excited when he indicated he was interested in running for the Minnesota House 23A seat to represent the southern Minnesota area around Albert Lea. Joe, who is just 40, grew up on a farm near Wells. His brother now runs the family farm. Joe lives in Albert Lea and works for GigFire.

These are my reasons to vote for Joe:

Joe understands the difficulty small farmers and small business owners have staying afloat, especially when it comes to affording health insurance. Joe personally learned how difficult it was to have access to good health care for himself when he moved back to Albert Lea. He supports a MNCare buy-in program, which allows farmers and business people to buy into a larger pool to obtain lower premiums and better coverage. This is good for people and good for rural small businesses and farmers.

Joe has a respect for our Constitutional rights and our democracy and would protect our freedoms to vote, to speak, to read, to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and to make our own choices on medical care and bodily autonomy.

Joe states he is willing to work across the aisle, compromise and work for what is best for our district. This stands in strong contrast with our current representative who refuses to vote for any omnibus bill, does not work across the aisle, and is, therefore, ineffective. The result: no money for our waste treatment plant, no money for lake clean-up, a smaller share of bonding funds.

Joe will work to improve our access to health care, will support our freedoms and will be an effective policy maker working across the aisle.

Joe’s campaign theme is: I will work for the freedom to live and grow in safe, rural communities. This would be a welcome change.

Mary Hinnenkamp
Albert Lea