Brad Finstad

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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 (age 47)
New Ulm, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJaclyn
Children7
EducationUniversity of Minnesota (BS)
WebsiteHouse website

Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) is an American politician, farmer, and agricultural consultant serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district since 2022. Finstad represents a large section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa. A member of the Republican Party, Finstad served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 until 2009.

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. 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]

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 Governor Tim Pawlenty.[6]
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.[7] Finstad left this position after Trump left office in 2021.

Finstad next joined the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association as interim executive director.[8] He left this position in 2022.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022 special

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

After

Hormel
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,[12] with 53.9% of the vote to Ettinger's 42.3%.[14]

Tenure

Finstad was sworn in by House Speaker

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.[16]

Caucus memberships

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[18]

Political positions

Federal debt ceiling

Finstad was among the 71 House Republicans who voted against final passage of the

2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[20][21]

Vote to defund vice president

On November 8, 2023, Finstad joined 100 other Republicans voting in favor of an amendment to a large appropriations bill that would prohibit funding for the Office of Vice President Kamala Harris.[22][23]

Personal life

Finstad is

Roman Catholic.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b "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. ^ "GOVERNOR PAWLENTY APPOINTS NINE TO THE RURAL HEALT". www.leg.mn.gov. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "Brad Finstad; MTGA; Minnesota Turkey; MTRPC". www.minnesotaturkey.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Hanley, Ashley (March 7, 2022). "Farmer, Former State Representative & Trump USDA Appointee Brad Finstad to Run for Congress". KTOE. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Republicans Jeremy Munson, Brad Finstad join the scrum for 1st District special election". Rochester Post Bulletin. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Former Hormel Foods CEO joins Minnesota congressional race, Associated Press (March 10, 2022).
  12. ^ a b Matthew Stolle, Finstad wins GOP congressional special election primary; Ettinger wins DFL primary, Post Bulletin (May 25, 2022).
  13. ^ Minnesota First Congressional District Special Primary Election Results, The New York Times (2022).
  14. ^ "Minnesota Election Results". Bloomberg. November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  15. ^ Tribune, Jessie Van Berkel Star. "Minnesota's newly elected GOP U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  16. ^ "Finstad sworn in on another contentious day in Congress". MinnPost. August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  17. ^ "Candidates". RMSP PAC. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  18. ^ "Brad Finstad". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  19. ^ "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". June 2023.
  20. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  21. ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Anthony Adragna, "The House did not pass a push to defund Kamala Harris' office — but 106 Republicans voted yes.", Politico, 11/8/2023.
  23. ^ Clerk of US House of Representatives, Legislative Information, HR 4664, Collins of Georgia Part B Amendment No. 44 , 1:21PM, Roll Call 633.
  24. ^ Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress (PDF) (Report). Pew Research Center. January 3, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 1st congressional district
2022–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
351st 		Succeeded by
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