by Dennis Dalman
by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Two candidates are facing off in the Nov. 8 general election to represent House District 13A in the Minnesota Legislature. They are incumbent Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) and Andrea Robinson (DFL), also of Cold Spring. The following are profiles of each of those candidates.
Demuth
Incumbent Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) is vying for a third two-year term in the state legislature.
Born in Paynesville, Demuth graduated from Kennedy High School in Bloomington. She has lived in Cold Spring for many years and manages commercial property with her husband, Nick. They have four children.
In 2007, she was elected as a write-in candidate to the Rocori (Rockville-Cold Spring-Richmond) School Board. She was re-elected twice to that school-board seat.
In 2018, she was elected as House representative for District 13A and was re-elected in 2020.
Demuth, who is House Assistant Minority Leader, serves on the following committees in the legislature: Early Childhood and Policy, Election Finance and Education Finance.
She has sponsored many legislative bills, among them the following: recognizing the first Thursday in May as a day of statewide prayers, fasting and repentance; consumer choice for fuel and elimination of clean-car rules; requirement of a photo ID card to vote; money for housing burn victims during treatment; expansion of long-term care insurance credit; elimination of governor’s peacetime emergencies for schools; appropriation money for children’s museums: grants for nursing facilities.
Among Demuth’s priorities in her campaign materials are these:
Education
Equal funding to ensure quality education for all, a safe learning environment, greater access to childcare and holding providers to a high standard of care.
Local school boards, not the state, know best how to educate their students.
Healthcare
Improved access to quality, affordable care, especially for those who live in greater Minnesota.
Increased access to dental care in greater Minnesota via incentive programs and public-private partnerships.
Stop sticker shock in medical bills and make healthcare prices more transparent.
Economy
Total elimination of the Social Security tax, greater investment in apprenticeship and career and technical education, shifting the reliance on unemployment insurance and instead focus on workforce development training for those out of work.
Public safety
Strong support for law enforcement, first responders and members of the military.
Implement proven community policing programs that foster a relationship of mutual respect and service.
She does not support red-flag gun laws. The real problem, she said, is leniency on criminals and reducing their sentences. Strict enforcement of the laws is the way to keep people safe.
Pro-life
Demuth said she is pro-life from conception to natural death. She supports help for those with unintended pregnancies – financial help, help with the adoption process, help with childcare.
Workforce
“Minnesota prides itself on having a world-class workforce,” Demuth said. “The problem is that good jobs are going unfilled in our state due to lack of qualified applicants. The skills gap her in greater Minnesota is especially pervasive. It challenges our businesses. It causes people to miss out on high-paying jobs with excellent benefits right in our own backyard.
“As a small businesswoman, I know we need skilled laborers now more than ever. We can do much better to match workforce development with the professionals looking to hire. I will work to increase vocational opportunities in our state, presenting them as attractive options for students and willing workers.”
Robinson
Andrea Robinson (DFL-Cold Spring) is challenging incumbent Rep. Lisa Demuth (R, also of Cold Spring) for the District 13A Minnesota House seat.
Robinson works for the Minnesota Department of Transportation as a small-business contracting supervisor who oversees a team of specialists for the Office of Civil Rights. She earned an accounting degree from the College of St. Scholastica and a master’s degree in public administration from Metropolitan State University.
Born and raised in St. Cloud, Robinson lives in Cold Spring with her husband. They raised seven children in a blended family and three foster children. Three children remain at home – ages 12, 16, 18.
On her campaign website, Robinson listed her viewpoints and priorities if elected to the legislature.
Education
All students, regardless of income, should have access to no-cost Pre-K programs (optional, not mandatory), as well as no-cost nutritional breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
Healthcare
“We should never have to choose between our basic needs and routine care, because healthcare is a necessity,” Robinson stated. “The reality is nearly 300,000 Minnesotans are without health insurance, and far more can barely afford to pay premiums or the cost of prescription drugs.
“I support expanding public healthcare coverage with public buy-in option for Minnesotans to ensure costs remain affordable. Optimize Minnesota’s bulk purchasing power to reduce prescription drug costs and ensure insulin is accessible and affordable.”
Public safety
“As a victim of violent crime, I recognize the importance of law enforcement. In 2021 my family fell victim to a community member who spent 83 days stalking our home, a crime motivated by bias. One day he stole a truck and drove it into our home. The magnitude of the situation required multiple agencies to work in unison.”
Robinson supports transparency and accountability, community involvement and policing agreements. She also believes the men and woman who serve in law enforcement must have adequate funding, resources, training, full staffing, adequate time off and support services.
Individual Rights
She said gun legislation should be aimed at lawbreakers, not infringements on the rights of responsible gun owners. She supports full background checks, increased penalties for offenders and revocation of gun rights for straw purchases.
“Pro-choice is NOT pro-abortion, just as pro-life will not stop illegal abortions from occurring. I do not want personal decisions made on my behalf, just as I do not want the government to infringe on my right to bear arms.”
Veterans
“My father, a Navy veteran, struggled with lasting impacts of mental health, something that impacted my entire family. Soldiers do not serve alone. It is a sacrifice that impacts caregivers, families and survivors so we need to ensure interim and long-term services and resources are available. It is time we fully fund the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and expand supportive services that establish pathways to education and employment and improve access and availability of mental-health resources and homeless-prevention programs.”
Lisa Demuth
Andrea Robinson
