Shawn Tweten

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Shawn Tweten

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 13, 2024

Education

High school

Warroad High School

Bachelor's

Oak Hills Christian College, 2004

Graduate

Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2013

Ph.D

National University

Personal

Birthplace

Minnesota

Religion

Christian

Profession

Therapist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Shawn Tweten (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on August 13, 2024.

Tweten completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Shawn Tweten was born in Minnesota. He graduated from Warroad High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Oak Hills Christian College in 2004, a graduate degree from the Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2013, and a Ph.D. from National University. His career experience includes working as a therapist.

Elections

2024

See also: Minnesota's 1st Congressional District election, 2024

Minnesota's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Republican primary)

Minnesota's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

Incumbent Brad Finstad defeated Rachel Bohman in the general election for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brad Finstad (R)	58.5	220,929
		Rachel Bohman (D)	41.4	156,375
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	297

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 377,601
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

Rachel Bohman advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rachel Bohman	100.0	26,406

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,406
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1

Incumbent Brad Finstad defeated Shawn Tweten and Gregory Goetzman in the Republican primary for U.S. House Minnesota District 1 on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brad Finstad	90.9	30,057
		Shawn Tweten	4.8	1,599
	Submit photo	Gregory Goetzman	4.3	1,409

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,065
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Tweten in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Shawn Tweten completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Tweten's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Shawn Tweten.

I am a father of four with three girls and one boy (ages 12 to 19).

I am a doctor of marriage and family therapy. Currently I work primarily with incarcerated individuals and doing officer training and wellness.

I was born and raised in Minnesota and currently live in Greater Mankato area.

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?

• Washington needs a therapist!

  Do you think congress is functioning well? Do you think there is too much arguing and fighting in congress? When a couple is considering a divorce or a family is fighting, they might seek help from a therapist. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist. I work with small systems (couples and families), now I want to help a large system (congress)!

  If elected, I will focus on conflict resolution and promoting a healthy atmosphere. It is not healthy when couples and family system yells at each other and fight, nor is it healthy when a larger system like congress yells and fights. Change can start anywhere and it only takes one person to start thinking differently. I am volunteering to be that person.
• Love your neighbor. It is a simple Judeo-Christian philosophy that has been around for over 3,000 years. It is a foundational principle of the Abrahamic faiths (which most congressional members say they follow). Yet, congress members are not demonstrating this. Many of them fight and argue. Many promote fear and partisanship. President Lincoln said that a house divided cannot stand and Jesus said that a kingdom divided cannot stand. Why are we allowing our leaders to do this? Let’s try something different. I would like to go to congress to promote conflict resolution, collaboration, and and an atmosphere of positive family values.
• There are many important issues. If congress can deal with conflict resolution and follow the message of ‘love your neighbor’… many other issues will naturally work themselves out.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

In no particular order…

- affordable housing
- senior housing
- mental health
- rural healthcare
- veterans and their families
- education
- jobs
- rural internet connectivity
- second amendment
- civil asset forfeiture

- officer wellness and support

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Bible. Specifically…

- Mark 12:30-31 (love your God, love your neighbor)
- Matthew 12:25 (house divided cannot stand)
- Second Timothy 1:7 (God gives wisdom, not fear. So many politicians promote fear)
- James 1:27 (pure goodness is taking care of those in need)
- Leviticus 23:22 (when working your profession, care for others)
- Matthew 23:23 (Jesus rebukes local religious politicians for being hypocritical)

- Deuteronomy 32:35 (revenge is God’s job, not a political commitment’s job)

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe professional ethics are important. I have to follow professional ethics as a mental health professional. I believe public servants — whether politicians, judges, law enforcement, etc. —should have to follow professional ethics and have ethical oversight.

I believe politicians are public servants who serve at the will of the people and for the greater good. So many politicians seem to be in it for themselves. They try to get media sound bites, political power, and seem to promote their own self interests. That is not the ideal. Politicians would benefit from altruism, serving the greater good, and remembering they are public servants.

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

I think I demonstrate ethical decision making, conflict resolution skills, and altruism.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Working together as a team.

When someone is recruited to the military, they become part of a larger unit. Their individual priorities stop and they work towards a common mission. Congressional politicians would benefit from acting like our service members: cooperating together for the larger mission.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy of stopping partisan fighting and revenge. I would like to promote ethical oversight and accountability.

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

The Challenger shuttle explosion. I was five years old.

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

Cashier at Johnson Oil Company in Warroad, Minnesota. It was a gas station, convenience store, and bait shop on Lake of the Woods.

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

I went through a divorce. That was one of the most personal hurtful times in my life.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Representatives have the lowest constituent-to-elected official ratio in the federal government. This gives them the greatest ability to hear what the average citizen is going through.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Sometimes. It depends on what skill set they bring to the job. Just because someone has prior work experience, it does not mean they are good at their job. But if they were good at their job, then prior experience would be beneficial.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The greatest challenge will be getting the leaders to cooperate to get stuff done. Now there is an incentive to keep talking points (such as immigration) unresolved so they can be political talking points to raise campaign funds.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I think 2-3 years is appropriate.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Yes, they are beneficial. It also promotes the idea of public service (compared to long term promotion of self interest).

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No. I want to change the political narrative to one of conflict resolution and loving one’s neighbor… so I think I would be unique.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

As a therapist I have heard so many stories. Some of the stories that stick out are ones of people being negatively affected by others’ decisions: whether it is a spouse who wants to divorce or an employer who lays someone off.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I was going to tell you a joke about time travel, but it turns out you did not like it so I am not going to tell you a joke.

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

Yes! That is an essential part of my campaign.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

My priority would be conflict resolution. Whether it is a couple in therapy or a congress in session, budgets are a big reason for conflicts.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

Ethically, not for partisanship revenge.

What committees interest you?

I am willing to take up any committee: wherever the greatest need is.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The people and the government both benefit from transparency.

Public servants—whether elected, appointed, or hired—do better with public oversight (even though they may complain about it).

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.

Campaign website

Tweten’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Issues The Central Issue: Love Your Neighbor Politics is messy. Political beliefs can cause a lot of heightened emotions. This is evident during this current congress: politicians are verbally arguing and even challenging others to physical fights. On November 14, 2023, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) challenged a hearing witness to a fight. On May 16, 2024, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) hurled verbal insults at each other during a committee meeting. On April 18, 2024, Republicans screamed at each other on the House floor and Rep. Van Orden yelled insults at Rep. Gaetz. What kind of atmosphere is this? Politics should not be this hard. Shawn will promote an atmosphere of loving your neighbor… not fighting them. Politics should not include hate: it should be cordial debate. Loving your neighbor is a principle that has been around for thousands of years. It is a cornerstone of many faiths. Jesus taught it. Mr. Rogers taught it. It is the principle I am campaigning on. Political Issues If we focus on the central issue of loving our neighbors, other issues will soon follow. Yes, abortion, balancing the budget, education, the second amendment, and all the other issues that politicians are fighting about are important. IF we focus on loving our neighbor, these values will naturally follow. Limiting Campaign Season Federal politicians spend too much time fundraising and not enough time doing their job. I support a constitutional amendment to limit the federal political campaign season. Community Issues My family has lived in Minnesota for several generations. I can relate to many aspects of Minnesotan life. Farming I grew up on a hobby farm. Some family members have been farmers and ranchers. This can be difficult as my uncle experienced in 2005 when he lost his cattle herd to bovine tuberculosis. My great-grandfather lost his dairy farm in the great depression. I realize the impact having negative experiences farming and ranching can have. Manufacturing Some family members have worked in manufacturing at Marvin Windows, Arctic Cat, Polaris, and Caterpillar. I grew up depending on the income of manufacturing work and know the importance of having good manufacturing jobs in Minnesota. Community Organizations Some family members have worked for community organizations. For instance, my mother volunteered at the Warroad Public Library for throughout my childhood. I grew up in the library and know the importance of having healthy books for children and families. I have also worked at my college library during my undergraduate studies. Conservation, Recreation, and Scouting Growing up on Lake of the Woods and having children in scouting (read story below). I understand the importance of fishing, natural resource management, and wildlife conservation for Minnesota. Minnesota is a beautiful place and we should all be able to enjoy it. Veteran Affairs My family system has also been impacted be PTSD after military service. I realize the impact military services can have on families and find taking care of veterans very important. Affordable Housing for Seniors and Families Affordable housing is essential for seniors and families. Having adequate housing, a good paying job, and a retirement is essential to the American dream.	”
—Shawn Tweten’s campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

---

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

Shawn Tweten campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Minnesota District 1	Lost primary	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. House Minnesota District 1

Website

Twitter

Footnotes

[show]

Minnesota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Amy Klobuchar (D)

Tina Smith (D)

Representatives

District 1

Brad Finstad (R)

District 2

Angie Craig (D)

District 3

Kelly Morrison (D)

District 4

Betty McCollum (D)

District 5

Ilhan Omar (D)

District 6

Tom Emmer (R)

District 7

Michelle Fischbach (R)

District 8

Pete Stauber (R)

Democratic Party (6)

Republican Party (4)