Rachel Japuntich

Rachel Japuntich (Republican Party) is running for election to the Minnesota State Senate to represent District 40. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. The Republican primary for this office on August 11, 2026, was canceled.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Rachel works as an engineer for a medical device company where she collaborates with many teams to build medical products that improve people’s health. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioproducts Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Later in her career, Rachel returned to the U of M and earned her Masters in Business Administration while working full-time from Carlson School of Management.

Rachel is deeply committed to serving her community. In her time outside of work, she serves as a Ramsey County Election Judge to maintain the integrity of our voting systems and sits on the Shoreview Economic Development Commission, where Rachel works to support a strong business community in Shoreview.

Rachel currently lives in Shoreview with her husband and two children.

As an engineer, my job is to build solutions to solve problems. I work together with people from different backgrounds to get things done. Our elected leaders have shown an inability to take action to solve problems and to work together. Our leaders make decisions based on the loudest voice and ignore how unilateral policies will affect constituents differently.

As your State Senator, I will listen and represent you. I promise to serve all constituents and represent the diverse experiences and people of District 40. I promise to work collaboratively with my colleagues across the aisle to build solutions for Minnesota families.

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?

Education: As a graduate of our state’s public education system, I believe our public schools can provide a foundational education for students to be successful in life. However, today our public-school students are falling behind with ~50% of students are below their grade level for math and reading We must do better for our students, teachers and parents – our students are the future of Minnesota. To improve our public education we need to: Reduce unnecessary burdens on our teachers so they spend more time doing what they love – teaching students, Reduce state mandates to allow school districts to better serve the unique needs of their students, Increase curriculum transparency to parents so they know what is taught to their children.Public Safety: Everyone in Minnesota deserves to have safe communities to live in. The past few years have shown an erosion in public safety, with many crimes on the rise in the state. Improving public safety requires a number of efforts from the community, government and justice system. Communities need to fully fund and support police departments. Police need to strengthen relationships and build trust among the communities they serve. Prosecutors need to fully charge and prosecute criminals. Courts must increase penalties for repeat offenders. Government must find bipartisan improvements to the juvenile justice system.Economy: Minnesota families are feeling the burden on their wallets from record inflation, rising costs of living, high taxes and the financial stress from the pandemic. Minnesota is ranked 4th highest for state tax burden, with a 10.19% a state tax burden. During a time of economic stress on many families and businesses due to the pandemic, our state had a record surplus. It is time we reduce the financial burden on families and lower taxes, so that families can keep more of their hard-earned dollars.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about building a better future for Minnesota families through improving education, improving public safety, and reducing financial tax burdens. I am a new leader with new ideas and will collaborate to solve the problems our state is facing right now.