The race for the District 22A Minnesota House seat boils down, in essence, to the “old” versus the “new.”

The first is represented by Ted Winter, the DFLer who is seeking to regain the seat he lost to Doug Magnus back in 2002. Prior to that election, Winter had served eight two-year terms in St. Paul.,and was House Majority Leader for the 1997-1999 biennium.

The latter is represented by Joe Schomacker, a Luverne Republican who is making his initial run for public office. While Schomacker may have nowhere near the legislative experience of his opponent, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t bring plenty of wisdom to the Capitol.

Schomacker is a graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, where he earned degrees in public administration, speech communication and political science. He earned his master’s degree in professional studies through The George Washington University, completing his coursework online so he could remain in southwest Minnesota.

An independent public relations consultant, Schomacker works with political and non-profit organizations, as well with small-town businesses. Through this work, he has gained additional perspective on how he could help encourage statewide job growth as a legislator. He also has demonstrated a common-sense approach to government spending during candidates’ forums, and has professed a need for a more even distribution of education dollars.

This election represents an opportunity for voters to send a new, fresh voice for this region to the Legislature, as opposed to one who would potentially bring 16 years of political baggage. We recommend a District 22A vote for Joe Schomacker.