Hello Kossacks,
I’m writing this journal to introduce myself and ask for your support as I run for Minnesota State Representative in District 20A. This is my first run for office and I wasn’t planning on running until about a day before the deadline. But before I share the beginnings of my saga, I’d like to tell you a little about myself.
I’m a father with three daughters, aged seven, five, and two. I work as a programmer for Symantec and I specialize in cryptography. I like to follow politics and hockey and ski when I have the chance. Probably in part because of my background, I find myself caring passionately about Net Neutrality and Privacy. Income inequality, Financial Regulations, Environmental Pollution, and Campaign Finance Reform are also critical issues to me. I care deeply about the world that my children are growing up in and I think local politics is our best hope for enacting real change that might give my daughters a better chance at a good life.
I was born and raised in a village called Vattholma of about 2000 people outside of Uppsala, Sweden. I moved to California in 1999 before settling in Minnesota in 2007. Growing up, I always considered myself to be a right wing conservative in Sweden, so you imagine my surprise when I got to the United States and found myself to the left of people on many issues. I started following American politics and I began to do phone banking for American politicians, donating to campaigns, and following political news with great frequency. I have been on DailyKos for years, watching as the NetRoots movement grew from a smaller group to a powerful force in politics. I realized the full power of the movement when Obama, an up and coming progressive star trounced Hillary Clinton, the more traditional democrat. I believe this was in large part due to support of the Netroots movement which originated right here on DailyKos.
Several years ago I joined the local DFL CD2 (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Congressional District 2, which is the U.S. Congress seat currently held by Republican John Kline) mailing list. It took some time digging through unmaintained websites and several months before I started receiving mails (fortunately they have vastly improved their net presence since). After a few weeks on the list I met up with the state district folks so I could get an understanding of how I could be better involved in local politics. Over the next few years, I volunteered where I could and followed the list when I had time but it turns out there isn’t a lot of this when you have 3 small children. A month ago today, I noticed an urgent e-mail asking if anyone planned on running for Minnesota State District 20A. It was two days until the deadline and so far it looked like the Republican Candidate, Bob Vogel, was running unopposed. I knew from previous elections that the majority of the district was comprised of several small conservative farming communities and that DFL candidates had lost by 9 points in Obama’s last election year and much larger margins in off years. But to just concede the district to yet another wealthy banker who would be pushing agendas that would help with upward wealth redistribution? I couldn’t stomach it.
My wife and I talked it over and she insisted I do it, even though we already had no spare time. Running for office, even for a small state office, takes a lot of time and energy. We both work full time, have three children, two hyper dogs, and a pony that need our care. We both struggle to find enough hours to sleep, keep up with yard work, and spend time pursuing our own interests. But helping improve the state for my children is worth a few months of sacrifice. I still wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
Moments after the announcement was made, I started receiving calls and e-mails from DFL members, elected officials, and former candidates, telling me who I should contact, how to find a treasurer, and instructions for selecting a campaign manager. I’ve been told that fund raising and door knocking are both critical and that I need to hit the ground running if I have any hope of winning this tough district. I started attending local environmental group, congressional district, county party, and fundraising events for other candidates. People shook my hand and started giving me checks. I still haven’t found someone who is willing to be my campaign manager but I have a whole team of smart and dedicated party members who are helping me get this thing running. I am in awe of their dedication and commitment to the cause.
I don’t think I need to stress how critical state offices are to the democratic process. With the recent Hobby Lobby ruling from our Supreme Court and our dysfunctional congress, now more than ever, state legislatures need to start looking at options for state-funded single payer, subsidized women’s healthcare, or separating insurance plans from employers. I don’t want my daughters being made to feel like their bodies are not their own.
But there is hope in Minnesota; two years ago, before Democrats managed to take a majority in the state house, Minnesota was stagnant and deadlocked on legislative issues. The political climate fostered an attempt to ban gay marriage and add a voter ID law to the books. We had the longest state government shutdown in US history. But things have turned around and Democrats control both the house and the senate as well as the governorship. In the past session, Democrats were able to pass an increase in minimum wage, fund more infrastructure projects, pass a medical marijuana bill, pass marriage equality, balance the budget, and refund schools after Republicans had diverted funds away from schools to address a deficit. In order to keep this majority and keep the legislative successes coming, democrats need to continue to fight hard for every state office. Minnesota’s population is very similar to Wisconsin and Michigan in a lot of ways but the differences in the quality of life for its residents due to the state government are noticeable.
So here I am, making my first run for office. The district demographics are tough for a progressive candidate but I will try my hardest to give my district a clear choice at the polls. I believe that the hard working families need someone who has their interests in mind. Please visit my website and learn a little about the issues that are important to me. Thank you for taking the time to read this and please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.
http://thomaslofgren.us
Warm Regards,
Thomas Lofgren