By Rich Larson, General Manager & Morning Show, Co-Host | Rich@kymnradio.net
Minnesota House of Representatives District 58A will continue to be represented by Kristi Pursell for at least the next two years.Last week, the DFL endorsed incumbent won re-election over Republican endorsed challenger Rita Hillmann Olson for a second term.
The House of Representatives she will return to could look very different, however. Nearly a week after the election recounts for two house districts are ongoing. The results of those recounts will determine whether Republicans will take control of the House, or if there will be an equal number of representatives from both parties, something that has only happened in the House once before, in 1978. In either case, the DFL has lost at least three seats in the election, and will not be able to dictate the House agenda as easily as the past two sessions.
Pursell acknowledged that bills will be more difficult to get through the house than in her first term, but noted that she does quite a bit of work with her Republican colleagues. The question, she said, will be if the other side of the aisle will be as willing to work with her in the coming session.
“I do a lot of bipartisan work, whether it’s looking at radon levels and rental houses before someone moves in and has the option to get out of their lease or looking at potential solutions for our farmers and the ag industry, there are a lot of places where I already work across the aisle. So, I’m just curious to see how that flavor will shift.” – State Rep. Kristi Pursell on the KYMN Morning Show
Regardless of who will have control of the House, she said, her priorities have not changed. She will continue to be, as she put it, a progressive voice for the rural areas and farmers. Noting the difficulties new farmers have getting started, she said she will continue to work to ease the transition from one generation of farmers to the next. She will also work toward the goal of keeping Minnesota’s water as clean as possible, while trying to eliminate the conditions that have created problems with private well water, among other priorities.
Noting that she won re-election in what she called a “purple” district by 5 percentage points, she said she will represent all people in district 58A, which means those who voted for her and those who did not, with respect and dignity. And while she was disappointed with the results of the Presidential election, she said she still has reason for optimism for the long term direction of our country.
“I am heartened by the level of civic engagement. It was exciting. I know there were a lot of early votes, but on the actual Election Day, to see several generations of folks waiting in line – that is what is exciting and that gives me hope.”
The 2025 Minnesota Legislative Session will begin on January 14th.
