Elections Are About Rights and Resources: Where the 5th District Candidates Stand
In this installment of his series, guest columnist James Trice argues that voters should look past popularity and ask who is prepared to defend their rights and fight for their community’s resources. He says Democrats need a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats to restore oversight, while stating he is not endorsing a party. Trice then compares the candidates in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which covers Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs. Ilhan Omar (DFL, incumbent) emphasizes raising wages, affordable housing, student-debt relief, immigrant rights, single-payer health care and ending mandatory minimums. John Nagel (Republican), a retired state trooper, emphasizes law enforcement, a DOJ-supported gang task force, border enforcement, shared American values in schools, the tax and spending policies in President Trump’s budget legislation and reduced federal spending.
Why the Nov. 3 midterms matter, and where Minnesota’s major-party candidates stand
Elections are not popularity contests, nor should they hinge on personal likes or dislikes. They are not about who has the most attractive website, speaks most eloquently, appears most charismatic or receives the most attention. Elections are not about Democrats or Republicans; they are about rights and resources.
When you vote, know whom you are supporting and why. Regardless of party, your chosen candidate should be prepared to defend your rights and fight for the resources your community needs.
The Nov. 3 midterm general election may be the most consequential election of our lifetime.
The president’s party controls the White House and both chambers of Congress, and a conservative majority holds the U.S. Supreme Court, leaving little effective oversight or restraint. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you have felt the effects of the administration’s actions: higher food and gas prices, rising health care premiums and, for some people, the loss of health coverage.
We are also involved in an unprovoked war. We have witnessed extreme and deadly immigration enforcement, book bans, attacks on the Department of Education and civil rights, the erosion of voting rights, and threats to freedom of speech and the press, with no sign of these actions slowing. If the administration maintains its current course, the remaining foundations of our democracy could be dismantled.
People generally vote for one of two reasons: to change current conditions or to preserve them. Those dissatisfied with the present situation vote for a different direction, while those who approve of it vote to maintain the status quo.
If you want to change our current course, I urge you to vote on Nov. 3. Our hard-won rights and the resources our community needs are at stake.
To prevent further harm by the current administration, Democrats must win control of both the House and Senate on Nov. 3.
To accomplish this, Democrats need a net gain of three House seats and four Senate seats while retaining the seats they already hold. They must also hold key positions in local elections to help protect our communities.
To be clear, I am not endorsing the Democratic Party or pledging loyalty to any party. However, I believe that if Democrats gain control of Congress, they will impose needed guardrails, defend our rights and help ensure that our communities receive the resources they need.
Where Minnesota candidates stand on issues affecting Black, brown, Indigenous and immigrant residents
The Nov. 3 midterm elections are an opportunity for Black, brown, Indigenous and immigrant Minnesotans to evaluate not just what candidates promise, but what they are prepared to do to protect our rights, address racial disparities and ensure that our communities receive the resources they need.
Below is a comparison of the candidates in the U.S. House, 5th Congressional District race, their priorities and the issues shaping their appeals to voters.
U.S. House, 5th Congressional District
Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District includes all or parts of Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, Crystal, New Hope, Fridley, Richfield, St. Louis Park, Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights, Hilltop, Edina, St. Anthony and Spring Lake Park.
Ilhan Omar (DFL, incumbent)
Omar’s platform emphasizes racial and economic equity, civil rights and support for immigrant communities.
Economic opportunity
- Raise wages through the Raise the Wage Act and end subminimum wages for workers with disabilities
- Expand affordable housing and student-debt relief
Immigration and civil rights
- Protect immigrant rights and expand pathways to citizenship
- Address systemic racial and economic inequality
Health care and criminal justice
- Move toward a single-payer health care system and codify the protections of Roe v. Wade
- Legalize recreational cannabis nationwide and end mandatory minimum sentences for low-level offenses
John Nagel (Republican)
Nagel, a retired Minnesota state trooper, centers his campaign on public safety, border security, education and government spending.
Public safety
- Support stricter law enforcement and stronger accountability measures
- Create a Department of Justice-supported gang task force to address violence in the Twin Cities
Immigration and education
- Strengthen border enforcement and tighten immigration controls
- Refocus schools on educating students and emphasize shared American values
Taxes and spending
- Support the tax and spending policies in President Trump’s budget legislation
- Reduce federal spending