Brad Finstad

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Brad Finstad
Brad Finstad 117th Congress.jpeg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 1st district
Assumed office
August 12, 2022
Preceded byJim Hagedorn
Director of USDA Rural Development for Minnesota
In office
November 27, 2017 – February 28, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byColleen Landkamer
Succeeded byColleen Landkamer
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 21B district
In office
January 7, 2003 – January 5, 2009
Preceded byRichard Mulder
Succeeded byPaul Torkelson
Personal details
Born
Bradley Howard Finstad

(1976-05-30) May 30, 1976 (age 48)
New Ulm, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJaclyn
Children7
EducationUniversity of Minnesota (BS)
WebsiteHouse website

Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) is an American farmer, agricultural consultant, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Finstad represents a large section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa. The district is primarily rural and includes the cities of Rochester, Mankato, Winona, and Worthington. A member of the Republican Party, Finstad served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 until 2009.

Finstad has spent his career working in agriculture and operating his family's farm.[1] In 2002, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where he served three terms. President Donald Trump appointed Finstad as the USDA Rural Development director for Minnesota in 2017. He served until shortly after Trump left office in 2021.[2]

Finstad is the Republican nominee in the November 2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district election. He won the August 2022 special election to finish the term of the late Jim Hagedorn.

Early life and education

Finstad was born in New Ulm, Minnesota, on May 30, 1976.[3][4] A fourth-generation farmer in southern Minnesota, he grew up on his family’s farm in Brown County.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education from the University of Minnesota.[5]

Early political and agricultural career

After graduating from college, Finstad joined the human resources department of Christensen Family Farms in Brown County, Minnesota. He later briefly worked as an area director for the Minnesota Farm Bureau before joining the staff of Congressman Mark Kennedy, serving as an agricultural advisor.

Finstad was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002 and took office in 2003. During his final term in the legislature, he served as assistant minority leader. He also served on the Rural Health Advisory Committee under Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.[6] He left the House in 2009.

From 2008 to 2017, Finstad was the Executive Director of the Center for Rural Policy and Development, a nonprofit policy research organization based in St. Peter, Minnesota. He also worked for an agricultural research and consulting company. In November 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Finstad as Minnesota state director of USDA Rural Development.[7] Finstad left this position after Trump left office in 2021.

Finstad later joined the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association as interim executive director.[8] He left this position in 2022.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022 Special

After Congressman Jim Hagedorn died in office, Finstad announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to serve the rest of Hagedorn's term in the 2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district special election.[9][10][11] In the May 24 special Republican primary election, Finstad defeated state Representative Jeremy Munson and seven other candidates to win the nomination[12] with 38.1% of the vote to Munson's 36.9%, Jennifer Carnahan's 8.0%, and Matt Benda's 7.2%, with several other candidates splitting the rest of the vote.[13] Finstad won the August 2022 special election by around 4 points against Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) nominee Jeff Ettinger, a former Hormel CEO and a first-time candidate.

2022

Winning a second primary against Munson, Finstad faces Ettinger again in the November general election.[12]

Tenure

Finstad was sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on August 12, 2022. [14] Later that day he voted against the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.[15]

Recommendations of Presidential Appointments

On January 28, 2025, Finstad, together with other Republicans from Minnesota, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, advancing candidates for Presidential Appointments, within Minnesota.[16] Finstad, together with Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber and Michelle Fischbach made recommendations for the most senior US Marshall, in Minnesota, including James Stuart and Bob Kroll.

References

  1. ^ "Farmer and ex-legislator Finstad declared winner of Hagedorn seat". Roll Call. August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Trump Administration Appoints Brad Finstad to Serve as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Minnesota". Rural Development. November 29, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  3. ^ "Finstad, Brad - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  4. ^ "Brad Finstad".
  5. ^ "Brad Finstad". www.acg.org. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. ^ "GOVERNOR PAWLENTY APPOINTS NINE TO THE RURAL HEALT". www.leg.mn.gov. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "Trump Administration Appoints Brad Finstad to Serve as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Minnesota". Rural Development. November 29, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  8. ^ "Brad Finstad; MTGA; Minnesota Turkey; MTRPC". www.minnesotaturkey.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Hanley, Ashley (March 7, 2022). "Farmer, Former State Representative & Trump USDA Appointee Brad Finstad to Run for Congress". KTOE. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Republicans Jeremy Munson, Brad Finstad join the scrum for 1st District special election". Rochester Post Bulletin. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Former Hormel Foods CEO joins Minnesota congressional race, Associated Press (March 10, 2022).
  12. ^ a b Matthew Stolle, Finstad wins GOP congressional special election primary; Ettinger wins DFL primary, Post Bulletin (May 25, 2022).
  13. ^ Minnesota First Congressional District Special Primary Election Results, New York Times (2022).
  14. ^ Tribune, Jessie Van Berkel Star. "Minnesota's newly elected GOP U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "Finstad sworn in on another contentious day in Congress". MinnPost. August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Anthony Bettin; Adam Duxter (January 28, 2025). "Bob Kroll for U.S. marshal among recommendations made to Trump by Minnesota Republicans". CBS Minnesota. Minneapolis. Retrieved January 29, 2025. In a letter to Trump on Monday, Reps. Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach, Pete Stauber and Brad Finstad recommended Kroll — who has been barred from policing in three of Minnesota's largest counties — for U.S. marshal, along with Minnesota Sheriff's Association Executive Director James Stuart.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 1st congressional district

2022–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
429th
Succeeded by