Minnesota House of Representatives District 1A candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Minnesota, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 1A who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 1A

Incumbent John Burkel defeated James Sceville in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 1A on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Burkel (R)	76.2	13,575
		James Sceville (D)	23.7	4,229
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	10

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,814
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

John Burkel (R)

Those priorities include tax relief for families struggling to pay the bills with inflation not seen in their lifetimes, NOT California Car mandates and emissions standards imposed on us through MPCA rulemaking.

Those priorities include fair funding for our nursing homes and rural schools, students and teachers, NOT bloated budgets for bureaucrats at the Minnesota Department of Education and Department of Human Services fostering fraud, corruption, and a lack of transparency.

Those rural values include respecting our friends and neighbors, supporting our law enforcement, and holding criminals accountable, NOT demoralizing those who protect and serve…creating a revolving door, catch and release crime wave in Minnesota.

James Sceville (D)

Defending Democracy means that everyone that is able to vote is able to vote. Mail in voting and early voting should be the standard in Minnesota along with traditional day of cast ballot. Weather, loose cows, or a long commute shouldnt prevent you from being able to do your civic duty as an American.

Education reform doesn't have to be drastic, but it does have to be effective. Paying our school staff a proper salary, providing incentives for keeping and hiring new rural teachers, creating a school supply trust fund from a cannabis tax, providing alternatives to traditional four year college. Small changes can make a large difference.

Affordable housing is one of the biggest barriers to entry for becoming an adult. Many children end up growing up and moving to places that they can afford causing brain drain in our already small rural community. We need to get rural development funded and our towns growing.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

John Burkel (R)

Agricultural and rural issues especially as they intersect with environmental policy

James Sceville (D)

Rural Development and expansion - Getting development companies to invest in our rural area so high tech manufacturing can continue to grow. So many companies want workers but those workers have no were to live in the area.

Education reform including non-traditional trade schooling for those not wanting a four year college. Our School staff needs to be compensated fairly. Our kids need more access to mental health in school. We need to show viable paths to success for those that are turned off of the idea of traditional four year higher education.

Making early voting and mail in voting standard in all of Minnesota - The elderly that cannot make it out safely, A massive blizzard in November, Cows that got loose. There are so many things that can stop someone from being able to vote on the one day that we have traditionally when there is truly no reason anymore. Many areas of MN1A are already on mail in voting. We should protect and expand on it so everyone has this opportunity if that is the way that they choose to vote.

Legal Cannabis - Frankly as more and more states in the country legalize I am still stunned that Minnesota, a traditionally fairly progressive state, has held back and missed out on the opportunity to get this passed. THe people want it. It provides an Opt-In tax source that can be used for a school supply fund. There really is no good reason that we haven't gotten this done yet.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

James Sceville (D)

I will always talk with someone no matter what. I will try and find a common place that we can communicate from. Being able to have that open ear lets a dialog open and ideas flow. Many people are willing to listen to the other side once they have said their piece.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

James Sceville (D)

Like most people my age 9/11 was a game changer. I used to fly between Minnesota and California as an unaccompanied minor five to six times per year. Meeting the pilots, seeing the cockpits, hanging out in the flight lounges was a pretty common thing at the time. After that you can imagine that flights became a lot more strict. No more relaxed trips hanging out wherever the flight attendants wanted us too. I was 12 years old when that happened, but I could defiantly feel the difference from the pre to the post 9/11 world.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

James Sceville (D)

My first job was working in sales at trade shows at 14 for a family friend. We sold a variety of things from etched crystals, to crossbows, knock off sunglasses to high powered air rifles. I worked for them for three years and it gave me a great insight on how to talk to and relate to people.

What is your favorite book? Why?

James Sceville (D)

The Dark Tower Series by King will always be my favourite. The world building in the first few books that books up into the complete absurdity in the later books is just unmatched by any other series.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

James Sceville (D)

I am a metal head through and through but anytime Lizzo pops on its going to be in my head for the rest of the day.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

James Sceville (D)

I outwardly have body issues that are easily seen. Large birth marks over my entire body and body asymmetry. Being noticed in public, body shaming, being bullied as a kid well into adulthood. It took a long time to become comfortable enough with myself to be able to put myself in public. Even now it can be daunting meeting new people. Being able to put yourself out there and be in front of people or in front of the camera has been something of a personal journey. I do everything I can to prove to myself every day that I don't have to struggle being me.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

James Sceville (D)

We have a massive amount of high tech manufacturing existing in extreme rural areas. We need to invest heavily in our infrastructure to keep these companies and people in our state.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

James Sceville (D)

I think a healthy mix of old and new legislators keeps fresh ideas coming in while not having to completely retrain how to do things procedurally is a fine way to do things. New voices should come from all over and not just people that have trained for government jobs.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

James Sceville (D)

These people are your co-workers. You absolutely must build a working relationship with them. You will be seeing them over and over and have to work on numerous projects. This might be one of the only jobs where you will be knowingly working with people with completely different opinions from your own but if you can't at least be cordial to get things done our state can't move forward.

Tell us your favorite joke.

James Sceville (D)

Two penguins are sitting in a bathtub.

One turns to the other and says

"Pass the soap"

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

James Sceville (D)

Compromise has always been necessary but for the past few years we have just been in a solid wall of NO with policy being wittled down more and more to get someone to agree just to have the ball pulled away before we kick it. We need to relearn what compromise actually means and stick to it.

See also

More about these elections:

• Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2022

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