Sam Powell

Sam Powell's career experience includes working in human resources.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Please allow me to introduce myself. I was born and raised in California in an extremely conservative environment. My father was a pastor of a congregation that was Christian Nationalist, before it became a household word. In that congregation, the seeds were sown which eventually gave birth to the Heritage Foundation and project 2025. My father learned it at Bob Jones University and it was in the environment that I swam in every day.

None of the platforms of Project 2025 are a surprise to me, because this is what I heard and what I was taught from a very young age. I was wrong, though, in thinking that these ideas were fringe, as I would soon find out.

I eventually became a pastor in that denomination, thinking that I would be able to slowly turn them away from their politics of distrust and separatism towards a more open and accepting love as Jesus taught us.

I knew that if I spoke out about the brutality of GOP politics, the racism throughout white evangelicalism, and the hatred of women and minorities that are currently threatening our republic, that I would most likely lose my home, my congregation, my job, and my community.

I spoke out anyway, and everything I feared would happen happened.

So my wife and I moved to Faribault in 2023, looking for a fresh start.

Although I found myself starting over again at the age 60 in a new state, I wouldn't change a thing. I am free and absolutely committed to fighting for that same freedom for every one of my constituents.

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?

Injustice is tearing our country apart. It has been hijacked by billionaires and the entitled rich who are committed to keeping everyone else desperate and poor. People who fight back are losing their jobs, their freedom and even their lives on our streets where they should be safe to protest

Trickle down economics was a lie and we are reaping the results of it. By fighting against fraud, instead of whole people groups; by reforming our laws so that rape kits are actually processed and victims are supported as they report; and fighting for racial equality and justice, we can have thriving communities for everyone, rather than just a few. The billionaire class will not let go of power easily. We need strong, courageous voices to take them onThe injustice is seen in all of our social programs. Healthcare is portioned out to those who can afford the co-pays, and the copays and rates get higher and higher each year.

We must do better. Healthcare must be available to all. No one should ever be priced out of care.

Our retired population must return to work at over 70 years old, because they cannot afford their medication, or utilities or taxes on their homes.

No one should be forced to work themselves into the grave to pay for food.

As the GOP continues to strangle the country, lining their own pockets decade after decade, we are falling into decline.

If we remove the parasite insurance companies from sucking the lifeblood from healthcare, we will find that we have plenty for allSchools, libraries, arts, open spaces, and the environment enrich us all. We are too enamored with the "bottom line" and have voted year after year for those who have promised that they will put more money in our pockets.

We've been fleeced. Not only do we NOT have more money in our pockets, but those services that enrich us and our communities have to fight for every penny.

Schools and school lunches should be fully funded without having to beg every year to keep their funding. Libraries and art and music should not have to fight for money. Our farmland and water must be protected from environmental dangers, so that we can continue to lead the country in agriculture and lifestyle.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The last year has seen the largest transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the billionaire class in American history.

We will carry that shame with us for decades. It is up to us to put an end to it. We must fight in court to receive the funds that the federal government has illegally withheld from us. We must reverse the flow of wealth.

Raising taxes on the wealthy is not communism, nor is it a punishment for succeeding. It is taking back what has been stolen from us by rapacious economic policies that have benefited no one but the top one percent.

Those funds have not "trickled down" as we were told they would in the 90s and we are paying the price in our costs for food, shelter, gas, and healthcare.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

DFL, The Rural DFL Caucus