The Power Belongs to the People.

There comes a point when we have to ask what all of this is for.

What is government supposed to do?
Who is it supposed to serve?
And what exactly happens when the people we elect - the people with power - stop answering to the people who gave it to them?

We can disagree about policy. We can come from different backgrounds, vote differently, and have different ideas about how to solve problems.

But we should be able to agree on some basic things.

Our votes should count.
Our rights should be protected.
Our leaders should follow the law.
And when decisions made in Washington, D.C. make our lives harder, we deserve some answers.

Those are the standards we should expect from anyone who holds public office.

This election gives us the opportunity to speak up and say, “Enough is enough.”

Our Voice Is Worth Protecting

For those who aren’t aware, earlier this week a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from withholding counterterrorism funding unless local governments adopted changes to how elections are run. The administration had sought to hold back 20 percent of that funding. The judge ruled that FEMA lacked the authority to impose those conditions. (reuters.com)

Let’s all pause for a moment and think about that.

….

Federal funding that’s been intended to help protect our communities from terrorism was being used as leverage over how we handle our elections.

We deserve a government that takes both public safety and our voting rights seriously. Using one to pressure the other is beyond the pale.

The Supreme Court also allowed the administration’s expanded citizenship verification database to resume operating while ongoing litigation continues. The groups challenging this system say errors have caused eligible American citizens to be wrongly identified as noncitizens. (investing.com)

Accurate voter rolls matter. So does protecting every eligible citizen’s right to vote.

We must demand both.

After decades working to improve elections, Doug knows how much care goes into making voting work. Election officials need reliable information, clear rules, and the resources to do their jobs.

And we need assurances that our eligibility will be judged correctly, that mistakes can be quickly and easily corrected, and that our voices will continue to be heard.

The power belongs to the people, and protecting our ability to exercise it should be a basic responsibility of government.

We Are Living With the Consequences

That responsibility extends to the decisions being made that are affecting our livelihoods.

The war in Iran has driven energy prices through the roof. This week, Reuters reported that “consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in nearly twelve and a half years.” Today, President Trump said he had done a poor job explaining his economic record. (reuters.com)

But we know what our budgets look like.

We know what it costs to fill the tank. We know what is left after the bills are paid. And we know how uncertainty affects the decisions we make for our families.

We deserve serious answers about the war, its costs, and the path forward. We deserve leaders willing to listen when we say that getting by is becoming much harder. Those are the things we aren’t getting right now and haven’t been for far too long.

And we deserve a Congress willing to exercise its own judgment, demand accountability, and do its job. It’s high time our Congress reasserts its authority. If not, get out of the way.

Representation Means Answering to Us

Back here at home in the Sixth District, that brings us back to Tom Emmer.

As House Majority Whip, Emmer holds a very powerful leadership position. That position comes with a responsibility to the people he represents.

We deserve to know how he is using that influence to address our concerns.

What is he doing to make life more affordable for us?
How is he holding the administration accountable?
How is he protecting our right to have a say in the decisions that affect us?

Spoiler alert: he isn’t doing any of it.

Our campaign has been built around a different understanding of what representation means.

We show up. We listen. We make room for difficult questions.

We believe that public service requires more than asking for a vote. It requires earning trust and remaining accountable, especially after the election is over.

That is the commitment we are making to this district.

We Can Choose Better

The frustration we all feel is very real. So is our ability to act.

Voting is already underway in Minnesota ahead of the November 3rd election.

(You can check your registration, review your voting options, and make a plan at mnvotes.gov.)

Then you can help someone else do the same.

We can have a conversation with a neighbor. We can knock on doors or make calls. We can make sure the people around us know how they can participate.

Every one of these actions helps turn our frustration into something much stronger: a community willing to stand up for itself.

We don’t have to agree on everything, but we should all be able to expect honesty, accountability, and respect from our leaders.

We have the power to choose leaders who take our concerns seriously. We have the power to choose a government that protects our rights. We have the power to do right by one another.

The power belongs to the people. Let’s use it.

We’re Showing Up. And So Are You.

You showed up, CD6. In a BIG way.

Two hundred people joined us at St. Michael City Hall this week for our nineteenth town hall, including visitors from Cologne, St. Cloud, Sartell, and East Bethel.

Thank you for bringing your questions, your concerns, and your commitment to making this district better.

That strong turnout means something important. We want to be heard. We want answers. And we want a representative willing to sit across from us and have an honest conversation.

Thanks to you, the energy in this district is off the charts.

We’ll keep showing up because you always do too.

Next stop: Monticello for our 20th Town hall!

Monday, October 5th
5:45 PM to 7:30 PM CDT
Monticello Community Center
505 Walnut St., Monticello, MN 55362

Join Doug for an open conversation about the issues affecting our communities and how we can make our voices heard. Bring your questions, concerns, and ideas. No political insider knowledge required.

Twenty town halls. One commitment: showing up and listening to you.

We’ll see you in Monticello!

Our Twenty-First, Twenty-Four Hours Later

Join us for a Healthcare Town Hall in Chanhassen!!

Tuesday, October 6th
6:00 PM - 8:00PM CDT
Chanhassen Library - Carver County Library
7711 Kerber Blvd., Chanhassen, MN 55317

Fall Is in the Air

We’re kicking October off in a big way this weekend with our district-wide Knocktober event! No matter what part of the Sixth you’re in, there is an opportunity near you to get involved and help the team in the final stretch!

Check out our Mobilize page for more details!

Minnesota Deserves Better

Finally, earlier this week, Tom Emmer announced plans to visit 56 districts around the country before Election Day. His own district isn’t one of them.

We have a question about that: Uh, what the hell man?

After twelve years representing the Sixth District, Emmer owes us a conversation about his record and what he intends to do for the people who live here. And he owes it in a big way.

Our votes should never be taken for granted. And right now, it sure feels that way.

While Emmer talks about campaigning across the country, we’re promising to continue the work right here: meeting people face to face, listening, answering questions, and asking for your vote. Because representing Minnesota should start with a commitment to Minnesota.

As Doug made clear this week, we all love this state. We love its natural beauty, our incredible neighbors, and our tradition of showing up for one another.

We deserve leadership that reflects that love. Not spew hate on a 24/7 schedule.

We deserve a representative who respects all of our neighbors, protects the places we treasure, and fights for the resources our communities need not one who say “go get ‘em” about federal immigration officers as they attacked and targeted Minnesotans, with TWO OF OUR OWN KILLED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AND ONE IN CUSTODY.

We can disagree on policies and priorities. But showing contempt for the people you serve should never be something that’s put up for debate.

Between now and November 3rd, we have a choice about the representation we want.

Since the beginning, we’ve been building a campaign rooted in this district, strengthened by your participation, and accountable to YOU. Not those with the deepest pockets.

Nineteen town halls into this race, our commitment remains the same as it always has.

We will keep showing up.
We will keep listening.
We will always keep working to earn your trust.

And that’s the part of the job that never stops.

The power belongs to YOU - all of you. Every single conversation we have reminds us why.

So many of us are exhausted. I know I am.

And I’m ready for something better.

Aren’t you?

-Doug
#FlipThe6th #LFG #ReadyForBetter

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