Candidate Questionnaire: U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Representative District 1

Brian Abrahamson

Party: Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis

1. Income inequality, environment, clean water infrastructure, and Medicare for all. It’s pretty easy to listen to everyone, and I will listen to all concerns.
2. I believe that we need automatic voter registration for all American citizens starting at age 18.
3. I am against act of abortions. But I am pro choice. We need to continue to have availability to safe and clean abortion practices. Making abortions illegal, will only bring about back alley abortions, which will be disastrous. Everyone should have access to healthcare, including abortions.
4. Yes I am for supporting funding, and will even write bills that helping funding.
5. We must continue to follow CDC recommendations.

Richard B. Reisdorf

Party: Legal Marijuana Now

1. Among the issues which affect the Asian community are: A. Not being seen, being invisible, hence Asian persons are under represented in elective offices. B. On the other hand, hate crimes are a serious issue. Asian persons are the objects of animosity because of covid and are often wrongfully blamed for the pandemic and cannot take safety for granted. According to former presidential and NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, a sense of scarcity predominates in the US today which has fostered a rampant rise in racism. In supporting the Asian community, I will work to institute a more inclusive history. Schools should reflect how minorities have contributed to US and world culture in order to diffuse the harmful narrative. Also, I will promote an investment in arts and creativity. In addition, I will call town meetings, visit primary, secondary and higher education facilities in order to determine issues affecting local Asian communities while encouraging entry into campaigns for public office.
2. Legal Marijuana Now is an alternative party. We are not controlled by corporations like the Democrats and Republicans. Both young and older voters have said, “At last I have someone to vote for.” I will work to provide public funding for education through the PhD level and equivalent level for the trades. I will also emphasize the need for ethnic studies. I plan to form a rotating youth advisory board, in Washington DC, made up of young students with various ethnic backgrounds. These students will receive school credit for participating.
3. I support a woman’s right to chose. I will work to provide education and services for women’s reproductive health.
4. I support investment in community spaces, such as libraries, art galleries, museums and parks, where youths can interact on issues. Spaces would be clean, free of environmental and physical hazards, offering healthy refreshments.
5. I agree with President Biden’s Covid-19 Plan. Please see “Combating Covid-19 – The White House” online.

U.S. Representative District 7

Travis “Bull” Johnson

Party: Legal Marijuana Now

1. I think the key issues facing the MN Asian community are economic and discrimination. My goal as your next congress person is to represent the people of this district, especially those who have not been heard in the past. Poverty is a huge concern of mine within the Asian community, specifically within the Hmong community, with greater than 15% poverty rate, a rate that doubles the Caucasian rate, we need to address that. I would address that by working to reduce government regulation to make easier for people to start their own businesses. With one in three Hmong evaluating their own English speaking as “Less then well”, we need to ensure that they have the opportunity to improve those skills, doing that would help them find better employment and further reduce poverty rates. Discrimination and Asian hate crimes need to be identified and prosecuted. My experience is with the Asian population in Minnesota is limited currently. I would look forward to meeting with members of the community to help educate me on their issues. I am in the position right now of not knowing what I don’t know.
2. We have asked to speak to the political science majors in the University of Minnesota Morris to speak about the challenges for running for congress, especially from outside the two party system. As someone running outside of the two parties, I think the younger voters are going to be the key to us doing well, they are not as set into the belief that we only have two options. Upon election we have plans to do multiple town halls when we are not in session in DC, I need to engage with the youth, and all of our constituents, I intend to represent all of the people of MN-07 and I cannot do that if I do not talk to them. No matter if you vote for me or support me or not, you will have a seat at my table to bring me your concerns.
3. Abortions are not a federal issue; the constitution does not give that power to the federal government. I do not support any federal funding of Abortions. I will fight to prohibit the federal government from banning abortion at that level, as I said, it is not a federal issue and that means they do not codify it, nor prohibit it.
4. These spaces are local issues, for them to be protected people need to be involved in local politics. All politics are local. It is not the job of the federal government to protect these places, it is the job of the local residents, local and state governments. What I would do is work to prohibit these places from being taken over and turned to corporate uses through eminent domain. This has continually happened throughout the country and corporations should not take a priority over the people.
5. My plan to combat Covid-19 is to ensure people have correct and unbiased information to base their health and vaccinations on. I do not believe in mandates nor mandatory vaccines where the long-term effects are not understood. I do not support the forced closure of businesses. Covid shutdowns hurt small minority owned businesses at a much higher rate then it did corporations or larger businesses.

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