Justin Doyle

Justin Doyle served in the U.S. Navy from 1978 to 1981. He graduated from Saint Cloud Technical High School and attended Saint John's University. His career experience includes working as a bus driver.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong resident of Central Minnesota, save for a few years' service in the Navy when I was posted elsewhere. For most of my life, I've worked in agriculture, transportation, and until recently, the US Postal Service, from which I retired a few years ago, and now drive an inter-campus bus that serves the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University. I am a proud past or present member of five unions: UFCW, APWU, UTU, AFSCME, and the Teamsters, whom I organized in my current workplace. In all my years here, I have yet to receive a visit or phone call from a candidate or an incumbent asking for my ideas on how they might represent and serve me. I aim to change that, and promise to keep in touch with the residents of my district, and to listen to their complaints and suggestions.

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?

Although we live in the wealthiest country on earth, we have still not mustered the political will to declare that universal health care is a right, and not a privilege to be doled out on the basis of employment, marital status, age, insurance coverage, etc. We have the resources to provide universal health care, and it's way past time that we do so.Minnesota's Constitution requires that its residents be provided a uniform system of public education, but the current funding is too heavily reliant on revenue raised by property taxes. This puts less affluent school districts at a serious disadvantage, and is the reason why Edina High School has 16 assistant football coaches, while some schools rely on bake sales to provide band instruments for their students. We can and must do better for our children.Minnesota's environment is not for sale. We are blessed with an abundance of lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. We need to preserve and strengthen the protections that are in place to pass on this blessing to future generations. Without this as a priority, all the health care and education in the world won't do us or those future generations any good.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The three messages that I listed above (health care, education, and the environment) are the public policy areas that I am most passionate about, and that is precisely why I have made them the cornerstone of my campaign.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

There are too many to list, but they all have one thing in common: a lifetime of service to others.

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

Honesty and integrity.

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

LISTENING to one's constituents, and presenting their complaints and potential solutions to the legislature.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Minnesota Senate District 13 Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) has endorsed me. Many other organizations have invited me to submit my responses to their questionnaires, but it's a bit early in the campaign season (mid-June) for any of them to have made endorsements yet.