Minnesota House of Representatives District 49B 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 49B 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 49B

Incumbent Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn defeated Thomas Knecht in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 49B on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn (D)	57.6	11,406
		Thomas Knecht (R)	42.3	8,374
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	15

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,795
= 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

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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?

Thomas Knecht (R)

I will work to reduce the partisan divide. Like most Americans, I am exhausted by the partisanship and polarization plaguing political discourse. Too many politicians are focused on winning the daily news cycle rather than working for long-term and pragmatic solutions to help voters. That needs to change. We can’t let the loudest and most extreme views, on either side of the aisle, silence the reasonable middle. We need, and deserve, elected officials who are willing to buck party leadership and do what is best for voters rather than promoting a personal or partisan agenda. I will work to reduce the partisan divide, foster collaboration over conflict, increase thoughtful deliberation, and focus on the issues and work that will improve t

I will fight to cut high living costs that burden hardworking Minnesotans. Families are struggling to make ends meet and are being forced to cut down on food, gas, and basic personal care items. This is unacceptable. As State Representative, I will work to cut living costs by reducing Minnesota’s high tax burden, cutting the social security tax, and working to eliminate wasteful government spending.

Eden Prairie’s premier public schools have long been a staple of the community. If I am elected, I will work to ensure educational excellence in Eden Prairie. I’ll pursue policies that increase educational excellence, maintain local control of our schools, and support our great teachers. I will also fight to keep partisan politics out of the classroom.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Thomas Knecht (R)

I am most passionate about promoting economic prosperity, cutting living costs, and ensuring educational excellence.

See also

More about these elections:

• Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

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