Minnesota House of Representatives District 53A 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 53A 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 53A

Mary Frances Clardy defeated Todd Kruse and Brent Jacobson in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 53A on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Frances Clardy (D)	54.5	10,777
	Submit photo	Todd Kruse (R)	41.4	8,188
	Submit photo	Brent Jacobson (Legal Marijuana Now Party)	4.0	785
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	22

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,772
= 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?

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

As a teacher and school board member I’ve learned schools mirror our State. They reveal a number of policy failures. When kids arrive sick, it demonstrates healthcare system deficiencies. If they don’t have a lunch, it indicative of a failed safety net. If they stop attending, it’s often because of housing insecurity. I will address such issues.

I will work to reduce the impact of inflation by eliminating taxes on social security income. Increase state support of our school systems which will reduce disparities between schools and reduce property tax burdens. Support women’s reproductive rights. Support initiatives to fight climate change. Support universal gun registration and red flag laws.

The key to opportunity and prosperity in this country has always hinged upon access to a quality education. Therefore, I will fight to ensure every student in this state is able to obtain a public education that will prepare them to be technological literate in this evolving world. Therefore, I will support measures that assure that teaching standards are equitable, eliminate disparities in funding, and fully fund schools.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

I am passionate about education, access to quality healthcare, equal rights, climate, and safe communities.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

My parent taught us that we had an obligation to give back to the community. Therefore, I would want my legacy to be that I made a difference and that I helped to transform lives in a meaningful way.

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

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 5 years old.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

Atticus Finch

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

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

The single greatest challenge will be to transition to clean, renewable energy in a manner that is equitable to all Minnesotans.

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

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

I believe it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. By doing so you have the opportunity to see each others humanity and it lessens the probability that you will vilify each other. Similarly, it will quell the impulse to assume the worse of someone whom you might perceive as an adversary.

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

Mary Frances Clardy (D)

Compromise is essential in the policy making process. It begins by creating the right tone and recognizing members of another party are not our enemies. I am not afraid to reach across the aisle to craft solutions that benefit the community, as a whole as long as I do not violate the values in which I believe. We can get things done if as Hubert Humphrey said, “we learn to disagree without being disagreeable.”

See also

More about these elections:

• Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2022

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