Matthew Swenson
Matthew Swenson (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the Minnesota House of Representatives to represent District 57A. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Swenson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A
Robert Bierman defeated Matt Lundin and Matthew Swenson in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robert Bierman (D) | 54.5 | 12,006 |
| Matt Lundin (R) | 42.2 | 9,296 | ||
 | Matthew Swenson (L)  | 3.2 | 704 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 11 | ||
| Total votes: 22,017 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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 Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A
Robert Bierman defeated Linda Garrett-Johnson, Roxanne Mindeman, Kyle Koch, and Jake Cassidy in the Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Bierman | 45.4 | 1,655 |
| Linda Garrett-Johnson | 30.6 | 1,116 | ||
| Roxanne Mindeman | 13.9 | 507 | ||
| Kyle Koch | 6.0 | 220 | ||
| Jake Cassidy | 4.0 | 146 | ||
| Total votes: 3,644 | |||
| = 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 Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A
Matt Lundin advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Matt Lundin | 100.0 | 1,948 | |
| Total votes: 1,948 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A
Matthew Swenson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 57A on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Matthew Swenson |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Matthew Swenson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Swenson's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
• Decrease taxes • Protect individual rights, including the right to life and the Second Amendment • Decriminalize cannabis
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I'm a passionate supporter of the Second Amendment. Legislation is constantly being proposed, but it generally does not include real solutions. There's a way to protect our rights while holding those who cause harm accountable.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
It's important to be able to separate rights from personal morals. Politicians should understand that something they believe is morally right should not be synonymous with being legal, and what is wrong should not be synonymous with what is illegal. People should be free to make their own choices, good or bad, as long as it does not hurt others. It's how we learn.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I support everyone's rights, regardless of whether we agree or not. I'm a Bible believing Christian who understands that we cannot legislate morality, and that everyone should be treated equally under the law.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
Taxes and individual liberty. Taxes should always be taken and spent reluctantly. Taxes are not a choice for taxpayers and as such only what is essential should be collected; the rest being returned. Lawmakers should understand that they have a responsibility to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens they represent.
What legacy would you like to leave?
Politically, that I ran with integrity. As a father and husband, that I was saved by faith in Christ, and that I served Christ as best as a sinner like myself could.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
I was 21 when the first tower of the World Trade Center was hit. I was in a taxi in Craiova, Romania. It was announced over the radio between songs and the person with me translated.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
Washing dishes. I was a kitchen porter during many school breaks. I was encouraged to work as much as I could during time off from school.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Independence Day. People are outside, as a community, watching the parade. Families get together and eat. It's a great day without pressure, just people celebrating - united.
What is your favorite book? Why?
The ESV Bible. From beginning to end, it's the story of salvation. People use it in all kinds of ways, but when they stop using Scripture to say something they want to say and start listening, it's life changing.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Six Little Ducks by Raffi. My son asks for it by saying "quack quack" as I drive him to daycare, so I hear it most mornings. It's now in my head. Thanks.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
Not at all - that's part of the problem. It seems that a priority for many legislators is to remain in office, and this can impact their decisions.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
We need to curb the increasing tax burden on our citizens by reducing wasteful spending and improving efficiency.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
Omnibus bills. If something is good enough it should stand on its own. Omnibus bills are a way to pass laws that don't otherwise have enough support, and also increase unnecessary spending.
Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?
Not at this time, and I don't see that changing.
Both sitting legislators 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?
I was surprised at how important the issue of decriminalization of cannabis is to many. While it's medical use is now legal in MN, there are still many hoops to jump through. I've heard personal stories about how legal trouble for a non-violent offense has hurt a person's ability to gain employment and advance in a career, as well as how someone has used it to treat PTSD as a result of domestic violence. These stories turned what is simply a campaign platform for some into an issue I passionately care about. Regardless of what I think about marijuana use, prosecuting non-violent offenses does no good (while costing the taxpayer money), and there are people who have had different life experiences than myself who should be able to make their own choice on whether or not to use cannabis without me or the government interfering.
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.
See also
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Minnesota House of Representatives
External links
Footnotes
