Keith Allen, District 19A Representative
1. Tell me more about your experience as a MN representative. What made you decide to run again?
Serving the people of District 19A in the Minnesota House of Representatives has been one of the greatest honors of my life. It has also been an incredible learning experience. When I first ran for office, I made a commitment to listen to the people I represent, work across party lines when possible, and bring some common sense to St. Paul. Those are the same principles that guide me today.
Coming from a background in agriculture and small business, I've always believed that the government should be accountable to the people it serves. During my first term, I've had the opportunity to work on legislation involving school bus safety, agriculture, higher education, consumer protections, and government accountability.
I've also learned that some of the most meaningful work happens outside the Capitol. It's sitting down with local officials, visiting businesses, talking with families, and helping constituents navigate challenges involving state government.
I decided to run again because there's still work to be done. Minnesota faces some serious challenges involving affordability, government spending, and public trust. I believe the experience I've gained during my first term will help me continue addressing those issues while making sure the people of District 19A have a voice at the Capitol.
2. What are some of the positive things you have seen happen for the District 19A area since you have been a representative? Should you be re-elected, what are the three issues you want to address or continue to address?
One of the most encouraging things I've seen is the commitment our communities have to improving themselves. Whether it's local businesses investing in their communities, cities working to address housing and infrastructure needs, or schools and community organizations finding creative ways to serve families, there's a tremendous amount of good happening throughout District 19A.
At the Legislature, I've been pleased to work on issues that have a direct impact on our communities, including school bus safety, agricultural opportunities, and efforts to improve government accountability. If re-elected, my three priorities will continue to be affordability, accountability, and strengthening our rural communities.
Affordability: Families, farmers, and small businesses are feeling the pressure of rising costs. We need to examine the taxes, regulations, and government mandates that contribute to those expenses and find ways to make Minnesota more affordable.
Accountability: Minnesotans deserve to know their tax dollars are being spent responsibly. I've supported efforts to strengthen independent oversight, improve fraud prevention, and make state government more transparent. We need to continue that work.
Strengthening rural communities: Our communities need reliable infrastructure, quality schools, accessible health care, and opportunities for businesses to grow. I want to continue focusing on rural roads and bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure, housing affordability, and the long-term sustainability of rural health care.
These aren't simply legislative issues. They affect the everyday lives of the people I represent.
3. Tell me a little bit more about your background. What makes you passionate about District 19A?
I'm a lifelong Minnesotan, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, a fourth-generation farmer, a small business owner, a husband, and a father of two children who attend our local public schools.
My wife, Morgan, and I live near Kenyon, where we've raised our family and operated our agricultural business. I've spent much of my life working in agriculture, including crop production, livestock, and the seed business. Those experiences taught me the importance of hard work, personal responsibility, and understanding the consequences of the decisions we make.
What makes me passionate about District 19A is the people. We have hardworking families, farmers, small business owners, educators, first responders, and community volunteers who care deeply about where they live. I know firsthand what it's like to operate a business, manage expenses, deal with regulations, and raise a family in rural Minnesota. When I walk into the Capitol, I don't forget where I came from or the people who sent me there. I believe our rural communities deserve to be heard and respected, and I take that responsibility seriously.
4. What do you believe you have to offer District 19A as the representative?
I bring a combination of real-world experience, an understanding of rural Minnesota, and legislative experience. Before serving in the House, I spent years running a small business, working in agriculture, and dealing with many of the same challenges families and employers face today. That experience gives me a practical perspective when considering legislation. I also believe one of my strengths is my willingness to listen and work with people, even when we don't agree on everything. During my first term, I've worked with legislators from both political parties to advance legislation and address issues affecting Minnesotans. I don't believe every good idea belongs to one political party, and I don't believe every disagreement needs to become a political fight. My responsibility is to represent the people of District 19A, ask difficult questions, understand the consequences of legislation, and make decisions I believe are in their best interests.
5. What do you believe are the responsibilities of a MN representative? How do you plan to approach these responsibilities?
I believe a state representative has three fundamental responsibilities: listen to the people, be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, and make decisions that serve the long-term interests of the district and the state.
Representing people means more than showing up at the Capitol and casting votes. It means being accessible, attending local meetings, visiting businesses and schools, and understanding the challenges facing our communities. It also means doing your homework. Before voting on legislation, I believe it's important to understand what a bill actually does, how much it costs, and what unintended consequences it might create. Having served on several legislative committees, I've seen firsthand how decisions made in St. Paul can affect local governments, businesses, schools, and families. I also believe elected officials have a responsibility to explain their decisions, even when those decisions aren't popular. Public service should never be about personal recognition or political gamesmanship. It's about earning the trust of the people you represent and remembering that the seat belongs to them, not the person occupying it.
6. What are some of the issues the District 19A community should be aware of? What can we do to support our area?
One of the biggest challenges facing our district is maintaining strong rural communities while dealing with increasing costs and changing economic conditions. Our schools, hospitals, businesses, and local governments are all facing financial pressures.
Housing affordability is another growing concern. We need to make it easier for young families and workers to find housing in our communities without creating unnecessary costs for local taxpayers.
Infrastructure is equally important. Many communities face significant expenses related to roads, bridges, wastewater treatment, and drinking water systems.
We also need to pay attention to the impact state regulations and mandates have on small businesses, agriculture, and local governments.
But I believe the most important thing people can do is stay involved. Attend a city council or school board meeting. Support local businesses. Volunteer with community organizations. Reach out to your elected officials and share your concerns. Some of the most useful information I receive as a legislator comes directly from conversations with people who are dealing with these issues every day. Good government starts with informed and engaged citizens.
7. Anything else you would like The Messenger to know?
I want people to know how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve District 19A. When I first ran for office, I knew there would be disagreements and difficult decisions. That's part of representative government. But I've always believed we have far more in common than what divides us. Most people want the same basic things: safe communities, good schools, affordable living, opportunities for their children, and a government they can trust.
I also believe we have a responsibility to the next generation. My children are growing up here, just like so many other families' children. The decisions we make today will help determine the opportunities available to them tomorrow. That's something I think about every time I walk onto the House floor.
At the end of the day, I didn't run for office because I wanted a title. I ran because I wanted to make a difference for the communities that have given my family so much. And regardless of anyone's political affiliation, my door is always open to the people of District 19A. It's an honor to represent this district, and it's a responsibility I will never take for granted.
Martha Brown
1. Tell me more about your journey to running for representative. Why did you decide to run for District 19A this term?
I’ve always had an interest in running for office, and when I came to Faribault, I knew this was a place where I could make a real difference. Like a lot of people, I’ve watched us work harder and harder while falling farther behind because of policies and practices that have put corporate profits ahead of people for decades. I finally got fed up enough with a billionaire-driven economy that leaves working people in the dust and decided to get off the couch and do something about it—to work for changing the broken systems that aren’t working for most Minnesotans. Plus - if we don’t take back our democracy now, we may lose it altogether.
2. Should you be elected, what are three issues you would like to prioritize?
1) Economic fairness. To me, economic fairness means making sure the economy works for everyone—not just those at the top. That includes revamping our tax system so corporations and the wealthiest Minnesotans pay their fair share; making healthcare accessible and affordable for all; raising wages; and strengthening unions and collective bargaining.
2) Affordable housing. Too many working people, young families, and seniors are struggling to find or keep housing they can actually afford. We need to expand housing options and make sure people who work in our communities can afford to live here, as well as address the rising property taxes on seniors living on a fixed income.
3) Protecting Minnesota’s resources and environment. Clean water, healthy soil, and our natural resources are essential to our communities, farms, and economy. We need to protect them while making thoughtful decisions about development and growth - especially when it comes to data centers and mining near the sacred Boundary Waters.
Of course, there are more than three. My district has many needs, and there is a lot of work to be done.
3. Tell me more about your background. What makes you passionate about District 19A?
I grew up in Millcreek, Pennsylvania, and left home when I was 18. Since then, I’ve lived in five states, but I never really felt like any of them were home. When I moved to Faribault, something clicked. I knew I had found my home.
I fell in love with Faribault and the surrounding communities—the wonderful people, the farms, the nature centers and parks, great restaurants, interesting small businesses, and water everywhere. Rural Minnesota is a place where I can get involved and make a difference in my community. I’ve gotten involved with our schools, Rotary Club, the Paradise Center for the Arts, Buckham Memorial Library, the HOPE Center, IRIS, and local governments.
I’m pretty much everywhere! And that’s what makes me passionate about District 19A. I’m not just running for this community—I’m part of it.
4. What do you believe you have to offer District 19A as the representative?
I bring multiple perspectives and a big toolbox of skills to the job. I’ve lived in five states, traveled internationally, and worked with people and communities from a lot of different backgrounds. Those experiences have taught me to listen, ask questions, look at the evidence, and not assume there’s only one way to solve a problem.
I also bring passion, honesty, integrity, and a strong moral compass. I care deeply about fairness and justice, and I believe there are times when you simply have to stand up for what is right.
Most of all, I care about people. I’m not running to be a politician—I’m running to be a good representative. I believe we should make decisions with people, not for them. If a policy is going to affect farmers, teachers, parents, small businesses, seniors, or working families, I want to hear from them before that policy becomes law. I’ll invite them to the table, combine what I hear with the best available evidence, and work with the community to find solutions that make lives better.
5. What are the responsibilities of a MN Representative? How do you plan to approach these responsibilities?
A Minnesota Representative has a lot of responsibilities: listening to constituents, helping develop and evaluate legislation, serving on committees, making decisions about the state budget, voting on laws, and making sure the people of the district have a voice at the Capitol.
I would approach those responsibilities the same way I approach my other work: listen, learn, evaluate, act, and improve. I want to understand an issue before I decide how to address it. That means looking at the evidence, talking with experts, and—most importantly—talking with the people who will actually be affected by a policy. I believe we should make decisions with people, not for them.
I also believe a representative’s responsibility doesn’t end when the Legislature adjourns. I will stay connected to District 19A, be accessible to constituents, and keep listening. And if something we’ve done isn’t working, we should be willing to acknowledge it, learn from it, and make it better.
My job would be to represent the people of this district—not a political party, not special interests, and not whoever happens to have the loudest voice at the Capitol.
6. What are some of the issues the District 19A community should be aware of? What can we do to support our area?
I think District 19A needs to be prepared for some difficult years ahead. Federal funding cuts have already resulted in thousands of Minnesota's children losing their SNAP benefits, and millions of Americans have lost their health insurance. These problems cannot be fixed easily or quickly. We need to be honest with people about that: things may get worse before they get better - and the old band-aid approach will not work. We need a systems overhaul - and it’s going to take time.
Our first priority has to be keeping people housed, fed, healthy, and employed. But I also know that the organizations we depend on to help people—food shelves, nonprofits, counties, schools, and local governments—are going to be under even more pressure than they are now.
To get through this, we ALL need to come together and move beyond the racist and political divisions that have poisoned us. We are human beings living in the same communities. We need to look out for our neighbors—all of them.
If we can work together, support the organizations doing this work, share resources, and make sure people don’t fall through the cracks, we can get through this difficult period. And I hope we come out the other side stronger, smarter, and more connected as a community.
7. Anything else you would like The Messenger to know?
One thing I’d like people to know about me is that I'm a creative person. I’m a professional musician, and musicians think differently—we listen, improvise, see patterns, and sometimes have to make a completely different way to get from where we are to where we need to be. I’ve never met a boundary I didn’t push - musically or otherwise.
I also tend to look at things from the 30,000-foot level. Although I’ll be assigned to specific committees, I’ll work expansively, because our problems don’t fit neatly into committee boxes. We need to take a systems approach.
That means asking some basic questions about how state government works. Can departments work together more effectively? Are there opportunities to consolidate functions? Where can we make processes more efficient? What technology needs to be upgraded? How do we make sure our systems are secure?
We also need to take a hard look at unfunded mandates. If something we required counties or schools to do isn’t working as planned, let’s evaluate it and change it - or end it. And if the state wants a new program or service, we shouldn’t expect already-struggling counties to pick up the bill.
Minnesota has made mistakes. We need to be willing to acknowledge them, learn from them, and do better. With taxes already placing too much pressure on working people and retirees, we have a responsibility to take efficiency seriously and make sure we’re getting the most from every dollar.
And that’s why we need creative people like me who can think outside the box and ask, “Why can’t we? What needs to happen so that we CAN?” I have no interest in the status quo. There are ways we can make state government—and Minnesota—better, healthier, and more prosperous, and I want to be a part of making that happen.
