Republican U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad and DFL challenger Jake Johnson debated on two southern Minnesota television stations Thursday night. The two are running in the 1st Congressional District, which Finstad has represented since 2022.

During the North Mankato debate, they differed sharply on President Donald Trump's trade policy.

Finstad defended Trump, saying the tariffs are a tool to make sure the U.S. has a fighting chance to trade freely all over the globe.

“The tariff lever that the president used brought new partners to the table,” Finstad said. “We are seeing record exports in ethanol, in dairy, in soybean oil, and we are seeing it now in the market.”

Johnson, a Rochester high school math teacher, argued that the tariffs are one of the biggest failures of the current administration.

“Tariffs are a tax; they're costing people in southern Minnesota more,” Johnson said. “Since the tariffs were implemented, it's cost the average family here in southern Minnesota over $2,000.”

Johnson said if elected, he'll vote to end the tariffs.

Both parties view race as competitive

Outside spending in the southern Minnesota district has ramped up considerably in recent weeks, outpacing the statewide U.S. Senate race as a magnet for group money.

According to data maintained by the Federal Election Commission, more than $2.5 million has flowed into the race. Most of it has been in opposition to Finstad. But this week, a political group tied to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer deployed $600,000 in ads critical of Johnson.

Some groups on the left have boosted spending on field organizing and canvassing in the district that has been in GOP hands since Democratic Rep. Tim Walz departed after winning the governor's race in 2018.

The surge in spending indicates that both parties now see the race as competitive.

During the debate, the two also clashed over immigration and health care.

Finstad said the Trump administration had put $50 billion into rural health care funding, but Johnson fired back.

“The next line in that sentence is they cut 137 billion dollars from rural healthcare in the form of Medicaid.”

However, the candidates agreed that the health care system needs an overhaul.

“We need transparency, we need competition, and we need innovation in our healthcare system,” Johnson said. “And we need to do it looking forward to the next 50 years, not trying to fix a broken system with band-aids that has failed each and every one of us.“

One thing the two have in common: both met their wives while riding the school bus in elementary school. Finstad met his wife in second grade and Johnson in third grade.

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.