Ettinger, Klobuchar make campaign pitch in Rochester with three weeks to Election Day

Oct. 16—ROCHESTER — Around 50 people crammed into the small library at Forager Brewery and Cafe late Saturday afternoon as the Democratic candidate for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, Jeff Ettinger, campaigned alongside U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Both Ettinger and Klobuchar focused the topics of women's rights, and the need to invest more in child care and education to help boost jobs in communities such as Rochester, Austin and their surrounding towns.

"Where we are today is an insult to women. I've really struggled to think of a time in American history where people have been given rights and then have them taken away," Ettinger told the crowd. "The notion of pulling them away, it really makes people concerned. Why are we putting them in that position?"

Klobuchar pointed to Ettinger's experience as a former CEO of Hormel Foods as a plus in understanding the economy,

"One thing that I hope the voters of the 1st District really understand is that Jeff ran a business. He gets that you need good child care, he gets it you need to have workforce training and education. And I think that's just such a unique thing about him as a candidate," Klobuchar said.

For the local constituents who went out to the event at Forager on Saturday, hearing Ettinger's plans for Congress, if elected, only reassured their confidence in him as someone they will vote for come Nov. 8.

JoAnn Johnson, a longtime resident of Rochester, said she was seeing Ettinger in person for the first time.

"I'm just very, very concerned for what's going to happen in three weeks. As a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, I'm really concerned about how this could impact my daughter, my granddaughters, and my great-granddaughter, Johnson said. "I was encouraged by Ettinger and feel a little better, and I'm hoping that he'll be able to win the big one in November."

Engaging voters in person has been a key to the Democratic plans for election campaigns this year according to Klobuchar. After seeing a decline in voter engagement in 2020, mainly due to the pandemic, Democrats running for any level of partisan office have upticked their engagement with voters in person as much as possible.

"There's been a breakdown of trust in a lot of people right now and the way you bring back that trust is actually looking them in the face and talking to them," Klobuchar said. "I just like the idea of people one-on-one talking to their neighbors, and it doesn't have to be door-knocking. I think the more people really talk about this election, the better off we are, because they need to talk about what's on the ballot, freedom to vote and freedom to make your own decision about health care."

"That's just a deeper way to have communication as the senator mentioned," Ettinger said. "You can do ads, you can be in parades and wave and say hi to folks, but the chance to actually have those conversations. And that's one of the reasons why I really feel that forums and debates are important."

With just over three weeks until the election on Nov. 8, Ettinger and Klobuchar are hopeful that more community based events such as these will help voters become more encouraged turning out to vote in this election.

Ettinger did just

debate his Republican opponent, Rep. Brad Finstad

on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Mankato. Ettinger and Finstad are scheduled to debate once more Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, at the Owatonna Country Club from noon to 1 p.m. This will be the last debate between the two opponents before the election.