Brad Finstad

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Brad Finstad

| image = Brad Finstad 117th Congress.jpeg

| state = Minnesota

| district = {{ushr|MN|1|1st}}

| term_start = August 12, 2022

| term_end =

| predecessor = Jim Hagedorn

| successor =

| state_house1 = Minnesota

| district1 = 21B

| successor1 = Paul Torkelson

| predecessor1 = Richard Mulder

| term_start1 = January 7, 2003

| term_end1 = January 5, 2009

| birth_name = Bradley Howard Finstad

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|5|30}}

| birth_place = New Ulm, Minnesota, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Republican

| spouse = Jaclyn

| children = 7

| education = University of Minnesota (BS)

| website = {{URL|finstad.house.gov|House website}}

| caption = Official portrait, 2022

}}

Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) is an American politician, farmer, and agricultural consultant serving as the U.S. representative for {{ushr|MN|1}} since 2022. Finstad represents a large section of southern Minnesota situated along the border with Iowa. A member of the Republican Party, Finstad served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 until 2009.

Finstad previously served as an area director for the Minnesota Farm Bureau and as the agricultural policy advisor to U.S. representative Mark Kennedy. In 2002, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where he served three terms. In 2017 President Donald Trump appointed Finstad as the USDA Rural Development director for Minnesota. He served until shortly after Trump left office in 2021.{{Cite web |date=2017-11-29 |title=Trump Administration Appoints Brad Finstad to Serve as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Minnesota |url=https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/trump-administration-appoints-brad-finstad-serve-state-director-usda-rural-0 |access-date=2022-05-08 |website=Rural Development |language=en}} In addition to his government service, Finstad operates a family farm.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-10 |title=Farmer and ex-legislator Finstad declared winner of Hagedorn seat |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2022/08/10/farmer-and-ex-legislator-finstad-declared-winner-of-hagedorn-seat/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Roll Call |language=en}}

Finstad was elected to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district in a 2022 special election, to finish the term of the late Jim Hagedorn.

Early life and education

Finstad was born in New Ulm, Minnesota, on May 30, 1976.{{Cite web |title=Finstad, Brad - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present |url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10762 |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.lrl.mn.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Brad Finstad |url=https://www.acg.org/minnesota/brad-finstad}} A fourth-generation resident of the area, he grew up on his family’s farm in Brown County, Minnesota, which his family has operated for several generations. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education from the University of Minnesota.{{Cite web |title=Brad Finstad |url=https://www.acg.org/minnesota/brad-finstad |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.acg.org |language=en}}

Early political career

After graduating from college, Finstad joined the human resources department of Christensen Family Farms in Brown County, Minnesota. He later briefly worked as an area director for the Minnesota Farm Bureau before joining the staff of Congressman Mark Kennedy, serving as an agricultural advisor.

Finstad was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002 and took office in 2003. During his final term in the legislature, he served as assistant minority leader. He also served on the Rural Health Advisory Committee under Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.{{Cite web |title=GOVERNOR PAWLENTY APPOINTS NINE TO THE RURAL HEALT |url=https://www.leg.mn.gov/docs/2010/other/101582/www.governor.state.mn.us/mediacenter/pressreleases/printerfriendly/PROD006435.html |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=www.leg.mn.gov}} He left the House in 2009.

From 2008 to 2017, Finstad was CEO of the Center for Rural Policy and Development, a nonprofit policy research organization based in St. Peter, Minnesota. He also worked for an agricultural research and consulting company. In November 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Finstad as Minnesota state director of USDA Rural Development.{{Cite web |date=2017-11-29 |title=Trump Administration Appoints Brad Finstad to Serve as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Minnesota |url=https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/news-release/trump-administration-appoints-brad-finstad-serve-state-director-usda-rural-0 |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=Rural Development |language=en}} Finstad left this position after Trump left office in 2021.

Finstad next joined the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association as interim executive director.{{Cite web |title=Brad Finstad; MTGA; Minnesota Turkey; MTRPC |url=https://www.minnesotaturkey.com/news/minnesota-turkey-welcomes-interim-executive-director |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.minnesotaturkey.com |language=en}} He left this position in 2022.

U.S. House of Representatives

= Elections =

== 2022 special ==

{{see also|2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district special election}}

After Congressman Jim Hagedorn died in office, Finstad announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to serve the rest of Hagedorn's term in the 2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district special election.{{Cite web |last=Hanley |first=Ashley |date=2022-03-07 |title=Farmer, Former State Representative & Trump USDA Appointee Brad Finstad to Run for Congress |url=http://ktoe.com/2022/03/07/farmer-former-state-representative-trump-usda-appointee-brad-finstad-to-run-for-congress/ |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=KTOE |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-07 |title=Republicans Jeremy Munson, Brad Finstad join the scrum for 1st District special election |url=https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/munson-finstad-join-the-scrum-for-1st-district-special-election |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=Rochester Post Bulletin |language=en}}[https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-minnesota-congress-albert-lea-a92cec36dbf5ca8d4001c8d924b28e0c Former Hormel Foods CEO joins Minnesota congressional race], Associated Press (March 10, 2022). In the May 24 special Republican primary election, Finstad defeated state representative Jeremy Munson and seven other candidates to win the nominationMatthew Stolle, [https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/finstad-poised-to-win-gop-special-election-primary-ettinger-wins-dfl-primary-to-run-in-special-election Finstad wins GOP congressional special election primary; Ettinger wins DFL primary], Post Bulletin (May 25, 2022). with 38.1% of the vote to Munson's 36.9%, Jennifer Carnahan's 8.0%, and Matt Benda's 7.2%, with several other candidates splitting the rest of the vote.[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/05/24/us/elections/results-minnesota-us-house-district-1.html Minnesota First Congressional District Special Primary Election Results], The New York Times (2022). Finstad won the August 2022 special election by around 4 points against Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) nominee Jeff Ettinger, former CEO of Hormel and a first-time candidate.

== 2022 ==

{{Main|2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota#District 1}}

Winning a second primary against Munson, Finstad defeated Ettinger again in the November 8 general election, with 53.9% of the vote to Ettinger's 42.3%.{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Minnesota Election Results |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-us-election-results/minnesota/ |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=Bloomberg}}

== 2024 ==

{{Main|2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Minnesota#District 1}}

Finstad was elected to a third term in the November 5 general election, defeating Rachel Bohman with 58.5% of the vote to Bohman's 41.4%.{{Cite web |last=Krohn |first=Tim |date=2024-11-05 |title=Finstad reelected to U.S. Dist. 1 |url=https://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/elections/finstad-reelected-to-u-s-dist-1/article_a7b26e66-9c02-11ef-848b-df6e0eb4a121.html |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=Mankato Free Press |language=en}}

= Tenure =

Finstad was sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on August 12, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Tribune |first=Jessie Van Berkel Star |title=Minnesota's newly elected GOP U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in |url=https://www.startribune.com/newly-elected-gop-u-s-rep-brad-finstad-sworn-in-friday/600197781/ |access-date=2022-08-15 |website=Star Tribune}} Later that day he voted against the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-12 |title=Finstad sworn in on another contentious day in Congress |url=https://www.minnpost.com/greater-minnesota/2022/08/finstad-sworn-in-on-another-contentious-day-in-congress/ |access-date=2022-08-15 |website=MinnPost |language=en-US}}

= Caucus memberships =

Republican Main Street Partnership{{Cite web |title=Candidates |url=https://www.mainstreetrepublicanpac.com/candidates |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=RMSP PAC |language=en}}
Congressional Western Caucus{{cite web|title= Caucus Memberships|author=|url=https://westerncaucus.house.gov/about/membership.htm|publisher=Congressional Western Caucus|date=|accessdate=10 April 2025}}
Republican Study Committee{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=Leadership {{!}} Republican Study Committee |url=http://rsc-pfluger.house.gov/about/leadership-0 |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=rsc-pfluger.house.gov |language=en}}
Congressional Biofuels Caucus{{Cite web |title=Committees and Caucuses |url=https://finstad.house.gov/committees-and-caucuses |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=United States Congressman Brad Finstad |language=en}}

=Committee assignments=

For the 119th Congress:{{cite web |title=Brad Finstad |url=https://clerk.house.gov/members/F000475 |publisher=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives |access-date=August 7, 2023}}

Political positions

=Federal debt ceiling=

Finstad was among the 71 House Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4029522-republicans-and-democrats-who-bucked-party-leaders-by-voting-no/ | title=Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no | date=June 2023 }} He voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.{{Cite news |last=Demirjian |first=Karoun |date=2023-10-25 |title=House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/house-israel-vote.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last1=Washington |first1=U. S. Capitol Room H154 |last2=p:225-7000 |first2=DC 20515-6601 |date=2023-10-25 |title=Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023528 |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |language=en}}

=Vote to defund vice president=

On November 8, 2023, Finstad joined 100 other Republicans voting in favor of an amendment to a large appropriations bill that would prohibit funding for the Office of Vice President Kamala Harris.Anthony Adragna, "The House did not pass a push to defund Kamala Harris' office — but 106 Republicans voted yes.", Politico, 11/8/2023.Clerk of US House of Representatives, Legislative Information, HR 4664, Collins of Georgia Part B Amendment No. 44 , 1:21PM, Roll Call 633.

Personal life

Finstad is Catholic.{{Cite report |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/12/PF_2023.01.03_congress_LIST.pdf |title=Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress |date=2023-01-03 |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=2023-04-08}} He and his family own Frontier Testing MN, a company that tests soil for farmers. The company had 11 employees{{Cite web |title=Frontier Labs MN - Merry Christmas from all of us at Frontier Labs MN! {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/frontierlabsmnllc/photos/a.118328829546939/158295695550252/?type=3&source=48&paipv=0&eav=AfYHFWVOd9BlZSH01eKYvS7q3KmETBd6FGhDCeTY7JFfwhauMOIgdWK9oIaqeRQhL5w&_rdr |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}} in December 2019, but by April 2020, the company had grown to 33 employees,{{Cite web |date=June 1, 2021 |title=FRONTIER LABS MN LLC — Tracking PPP |url=https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/frontier-labs-mn-llc-8330518403 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |website=ProPublica}} for which it needed more than $150,000 of now-forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans. By February 2021, his company employed 43 employees and needed $170,000 to pay them. Those loans were also forgiven. The company has since returned to 11 employees.