Brad Finstad

Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) is an American farmer, agricultural consultant, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district. Finstad represents a large section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa. The district is mostly rural and includes the cities of Rochester, Mankato, Winona, Austin, Owatonna, and Worthington. A member of the Republican Party, Finstad served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 until 2009.

Brad Finstad
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 1st district
Assumed office
August 12, 2022
Preceded byJim Hagedorn
Director of USDA Rural Development for Minnesota
In office
November 27, 2017 – February 28, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byColleen Landkamer
Succeeded byColleen Landkamer
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 21B district
In office
January 7, 2003 – January 5, 2009
Preceded byRichard Mulder
Succeeded byPaul Torkelson
Personal details
Born
Bradley Howard Finstad

(1976-05-30) May 30, 1976
New Ulm, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJaclyn
Children7
EducationUniversity of Minnesota (BS)
WebsiteHouse website

Finstad previously served as an area director for the Minnesota Farm Bureau and as the agricultural policy advisor to U.S. Representative Mark Kennedy. In 2002, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where he served three terms. While in the state house, Finstad served on several legislative and statewide agricultural committees. In 2017 President Donald Trump appointed Finstad as the USDA Rural Development director for Minnesota. He served until shortly after Trump left office in 2021.[1] In addition to his government service, Finstad operates a family farm.[2]

Finstad was elected to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district in a 2022 special election, to finish the term of the late Jim Hagedorn.

Early life and education

Finstad was born in New Ulm, Minnesota, on May 30, 1976.[3][4] A fourth-generation resident of the area, he grew up on his family’s farm in Brown County, Minnesota which his family has operated for several generations.[1] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education from the University of Minnesota.[5]

Finstad is Roman Catholic.[6]

Early political career

After graduating from college, Finstad joined the human resources department of Christensen Family Farms in Brown County, Minnesota. He later briefly worked as an area director for the Minnesota Farm Bureau before joining the staff of Congressman Mark Kennedy, serving as an agricultural advisor.

Finstad was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002 and took office in 2003. During his final term in the legislature, he served as assistant minority leader. He also served on the Rural Health Advisory Committee under Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.[7] He left the House in 2009.

From 2008 to 2017, Finstad was CEO of the Center for Rural Policy and Development, a nonprofit policy research organization based in St. Peter, Minnesota. He also worked for an agricultural research and consulting company. In November 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Finstad as Minnesota state director of USDA Rural Development.[8] Finstad left this position after Trump left office in 2021.

Finstad next joined the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association as interim executive director.[9] He left this position in 2022.

U.S. House of Representatives

2022 special
See also: 2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district special election

After Congressman Jim Hagedorn died in office, Finstad announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to serve the rest of Hagedorn's term in the 2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district special election.[10][11][12] In the May 24 special Republican primary election, Finstad defeated state Representative Jeremy Munson and seven other candidates to win the nomination[13] with 38.1% of the vote to Munson's 36.9%, Jennifer Carnahan's 8.0%, and Matt Benda's 7.2%, with several other candidates splitting the rest of the vote.[14] Finstad won the August 2022 special election by around 4 points against Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) nominee Jeff Ettinger, a former Hormel CEO and a first-time candidate.

2022
Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota § District 1

Winning a second primary against Munson, Finstad defeated Ettinger again in the November 8 general election,[13] with 53.9% of the vote to Ettinger's 42.3%.[15]

Tenure

Finstad was sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on August 12, 2022.[16] Later that day he voted against the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.[17]

Finstad was among the 71 House Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.[18]

Caucus memberships

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[20]

References
  1. "Trump Administration Appoints Brad Finstad to Serve as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Minnesota". Rural Development. November 29, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  2. "Farmer and ex-legislator Finstad declared winner of Hagedorn seat". Roll Call. August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  3. "Finstad, Brad - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  4. "Brad Finstad".
  5. "Brad Finstad". www.acg.org. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress (PDF) (Report). Pew Research Center. January 3, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  7. "GOVERNOR PAWLENTY APPOINTS NINE TO THE RURAL HEALT". www.leg.mn.gov. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  8. "Trump Administration Appoints Brad Finstad to Serve as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Minnesota". Rural Development. November 29, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  9. "Brad Finstad; MTGA; Minnesota Turkey; MTRPC". www.minnesotaturkey.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  10. Hanley, Ashley (March 7, 2022). "Farmer, Former State Representative & Trump USDA Appointee Brad Finstad to Run for Congress". KTOE. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  11. "Republicans Jeremy Munson, Brad Finstad join the scrum for 1st District special election". Rochester Post Bulletin. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  12. Former Hormel Foods CEO joins Minnesota congressional race, Associated Press (March 10, 2022).
  13. Matthew Stolle, Finstad wins GOP congressional special election primary; Ettinger wins DFL primary, Post Bulletin (May 25, 2022).
  14. Minnesota First Congressional District Special Primary Election Results, The New York Times (2022).
  15. "Minnesota Election Results". Bloomberg. November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  16. Tribune, Jessie Van Berkel Star. "Minnesota's newly elected GOP U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  17. "Finstad sworn in on another contentious day in Congress". MinnPost. August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  18. "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". June 2023.
  19. "Candidates". RMSP PAC. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  20. "Brad Finstad". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
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