Related content: Three candidates running for the 7B State House candidates This November, Minnesotans will vote to decide the fate of gay marriage, voter rights, and who our next president will be. They will also be voting to decide the next District 7A House of Representatives member. There are two choices: Therese Bower or Thomas Huntley.
Thomas Huntley, a DFL member of the House of Representatives, has represented District 7A for several years. He has had several years of political experience, and is also very active in the community. He is currently the Director of Institutional Relations at the University of Minnesota Duluth School of Medicine. Huntley said that his opponent in the race, Therese Bower, has similar views on certain topics, but that they differ on several key points.
"I'm much more pro-environment," Huntley said.
Huntley also stated a need for health-care reform. He said that there are some fundamental problems with the health-care programs in this country.
"We need to change how we pay for health-care," Huntley said.
Bower, on the other hand, has never held office. She doesn't appear to have any political experience prior to joining the race, and before that, she was a massage therapist. However, Therese plans to do things a little differently than her opponent.
"I'm pretty much the opposite, as far as the votes I've seen him cast," Bower said.
Bower wants to get people informed on the issues that matter.
"The most important issue is balancing the budget," Bower said.
Bower also wants to reduce taxes and create more jobs. She wants to create more jobs in Minnesota so that people can stay here.
"He would raise taxes," Bower said. "I think we have enough taxes, we need more jobs."
While the two candidates have differing opinions on certain matters, they both have a good chance to become elected this November.
Mary Murphy, a local politician and activist in the community, has held office representing District 6B in the House of Representatives for many years now. She has known Huntley for quite a while, but has only met Bower on a couple of occasions.
Murphy said that Bower isn't as well-renowned as Huntley; he has a lot of prestige for the various things he has done in the area. Murphy also said that she considers Huntley as an expert on several important matters, and has followed his lead on some of those issues in the past.
"Tom is much needed for his expertise on health care and other matters," Murphy said.
She said that Huntley is very important to the ongoing efforts and ideals of our governing body.
"It is very important that we have continuity," Murphy said, "We shouldn't be throwing out our experts, at this time."
Murphy also said that there have been several opportunities for candidates to meet in a forum and discuss issues of importance. The forums have been on widely ranging issues such as health care, transportation, and the environment. Murphy said that she hasn't seen Bower at very many of the meetings.
"She hasn't appeared very much, as far as I've seen," Murphy said. "I think the League of Women Voters forum is the only one she came to that I can remember."
Both candidates have several good arguments and reasons for why voters should elect them on Election Day. Huntley has years of political experience over Bower. However, a new way of thinking may just be what our state needs. Whatever the case, please come out this November and vote!
