Candidate Profile: Tyler Kistner For U.S. House

PRIOR LAKE, MN — The 2020 election is heating up in Minnesota and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the outcome of seats in the United States House.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Tyler Kistner, a Prior Lake resident, is running for U.S. House of Representatives District 2.

Important note: U.S. House Election Delayed After Candidate's Death

Age: 32
Party affiliation: Republican Party
Family: Wife - Marie, Daughter - Elodie (3 Years Old)
Occupation: Marine Corps Special Operations Forces Officer (9 years in the Marine Corp)
Previous elected experience: None
Family members in government: No
Campaign website

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We need to reopen our economy and get people back to work. Too many small businesses in Minnesota are suffering because they can't reopen at full capacity. Many of our local restaurants in particular are only allowed to serve customers at 50 percent capacity and this is simply unacceptable. When elected I will work with other lawmakers to get these businesses fully open so they can provide for their families.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only candidate in this race who wants to fully re-open our economy back up. I am the only candidate that supports our law enforcement and I have backed our local police departments 100 percent. I am the only candidate in this race who is actually following the rule of law as my opponent is trying to overturn a state law, implemented by her own party, to change the date of the election and throw this election into chaos.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As a Marine Special Operations Forces Officer, I have been in harms way many times. I know what it's like to handle a tough job because in my previous job, in the elite Marine Raiders, I was deployed overseas four times commanding over 500 personnel and overseeing over $100 million in budget and assets. I have commanded some of this nation's finest men and women in some of the most chaotic and uncertain situations and when elected to congress I will serve my constituents with the same determination and commitment that I had when I served my country in the Marine Corps.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

As previously stated, we need to fully re-open our economy and get folks back to work. The state of Minnesota needs to make sure that folks have every means at their disposal to provide for their families and I will fight to make sure that happens.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?

I think there are opportunities to pass meaningful reforms to help support police officers. I believe that having national standards and an expansion of training would be a good way to fix some issues that some police departments are having and can be beneficial to local communities as well.
I also believe we need to strengthen our criminal penalties on lynching and restrict cities, not police departments, that defund/abolish their police departments from receiving federal grant money.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I will work with others to do everything I can to fully re-open our economy. I will always stand with our law enforcement officials and I will always fight to uphold the rule of law.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I would like the voters to know that as a Marine Special Operations Forces Officer I have the skillset and the background to get the job done. I was blessed to serve this country for 9 years in the Marine Corps and I look forward to serving again as the next member of congress for Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District.

Also read: Candidate Profile: Angie Craig For U.S. House

This article originally appeared on the Apple Valley-Rosemount Patch