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As a concerned citizen I have always been interested in politics and who would best represent our family concerns. Also, would the candidate for office  be concerned about similar interests that  we have in what is important for our community of Austin and the surrounding communities like Blooming Prairie.  I noticed that Tom Stiehm is running for the Minnesota State House representing the Austin area. This includes most of Mower County and Blooming Prairie.  I called Tom and asked that we meet for coffee at the local coffee shop and have a conversation as to why he is running for office. How does he intend to represent what is important for our community and surrounding county?

Tom is an enthusiastic talker so I learned much about Tom in that short hour, which became two hours.  First, Tom is laser focused on what he wants to accomplish and what needs to be accomplished for our state House district. He intends to knock on every door in the district and find out exactly what their needs are. He thinks his extensive background in helping and assisting people over the years  will be a real benefit to the people of the county.  For instance;  Tom was a local Austin cop for 30 years, rising to detective prior to his retirement. He was also mayor of Austin for 14 years until his retirement just less than two years ago.  He is the longest serving Mayor in Austin’s history.  He also comes from a family with a long history in the military.  He and his father both served in the Marines. In the early 70s he received his basic training in Quantico, Virginia and was moved overseas to Okinawa Island, Japan.

In my conversation with Tom, he keeps bringing up how concerned he is about Minnesota. The residents seem to lack trust in their government and the politicians can’t seem to work together for the betterment of the community. Tom has a stake in the community and in  Minnesota. He has three children with two living in the community and his daughter in Rochester.  He also has six grandchildren living in the area thus he doesn’t see he and his wife Sarah living anywhere else but Austin, Minnesota. Living in Austin 30 years has brought him a deep appreciation for the community and the possibilities that lie ahead.

Tom sees himself as a blue-collar candidate devoted to individuals working hard for a living. He sees his experience both as a policeman and mayor providing him the skills to bring people together and working for the common good.

He has a kick-off to his campaign coming up on  Sunday, March 6  at 2 p.m.  This is  an event that I want to attend at the Mapleview Community Center and lend my support.  He is a candidate worth supporting as he will listen to my concerns as well as my neighbors.  I hope to see you there.

Roger Boughton

Austin, MN