# Brad Finstad *American politician, U.S. representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district (since 2022)* Bradley Howard Finstad (born May 30, 1976) has been the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district since 2022. That year a special election sent him to Congress to complete the term of the late Jim Hagedorn.[^1] The district takes in part of southern [[Minnesota]] on the Iowa line. Finstad is a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)]].[^1] Before Congress, Finstad held three terms in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]], sitting from 2003 to 2009.[^1] President Donald Trump named him Minnesota director of USDA Rural Development in 2017, and he held that post until shortly after Trump's term ended in 2021.[^1] Alongside his public offices, he runs a family farm.[^1] In December 2024, Finstad's House website published a release. Its web address describes a Minnesota Republican delegation demand for answers about election integrity in Minnesota following missing ballots.[^2] The pack does not carry the release's text. The record here therefore does not establish what the delegation asked, of whom, or what reply followed.[^2] ## Early life and education Finstad was born on May 30, 1976, in New Ulm, Minnesota. His family has lived in the area for four generations.[^3] He was raised on a farm in [[Brown County, Minnesota]] that the family has worked for several generations.[^3] He holds a B.S. in agricultural education from the [[University of Minnesota]].[^3] ## Early political career After finishing college, Finstad worked in human resources at Christensen Family Farms in Brown County.[^4] He then spent a short period as a Minnesota Farm Bureau area director. Next he became agricultural adviser on the staff of Congressman Mark Kennedy.[^4] Voters elected him to the Minnesota House in 2002, and he was seated in 2003.[^4] In his last term he was assistant minority leader. He also sat on the Rural Health Advisory Committee during the governorship of [[Tim Pawlenty]].[^4] His House service ended in 2009.[^4] From 2008 to 2017, Finstad led the Center for Rural Policy and Development as chief executive. The center is a nonprofit policy research body in St. Peter, Minnesota.[^4] He also worked for a firm doing agricultural research and consulting.[^4] Trump appointed him Minnesota state director of USDA Rural Development in November 2017. Finstad departed after Trump's term ended in 2021.[^4] He then served as interim executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, leaving in 2022.[^4] ## U.S. House of Representatives ### Elections Hagedorn's death in office opened the 1st district seat. Finstad entered the race for the Republican nomination to serve out the term.[^5] Nine candidates contested the May 24 special Republican primary. Finstad took 38.1%, state representative Jeremy Munson 36.9%, Jennifer Carnahan 8.0% and Matt Benda 7.2%. The remaining candidates divided the rest.[^5] In the August 2022 special election, Finstad's margin was roughly four points over Jeff Ettinger. Ettinger was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor nominee, a former Hormel chief executive and a first-time candidate.[^5] Finstad beat Munson in a second primary. He then faced Ettinger again in the November 8, 2022 general election, winning 53.9% to 42.3%.[^5] In the November 5, 2024 general election, he won a third term over Rachel Bohman, 58.5% to 41.4%.[^5] ### Tenure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi administered Finstad's oath on August 12, 2022. On the same day he cast a vote against the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.[^6] ### Committee assignments and caucuses In the 119th Congress, Finstad sits on three committees.[^6] - **Agriculture.** He serves on the subcommittees on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology and on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit. He chairs the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.[^6] - **Armed Services.** He serves on the subcommittees on Military Personnel and on Readiness.[^6] - **Small Business.** He serves on the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations. The cached listing of his further assignments is truncated.[^6] He belongs to four caucuses: the Republican Main Street Partnership, the Congressional Western Caucus, the Republican Study Committee and the Congressional Biofuels Caucus.[^6] ## Political positions - **Federal debt ceiling.** Finstad voted no on final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, one of 71 House Republicans to do so.[^7] - **Foreign policy.** After the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, he voted for support to Israel.[^7] In February 2026, he backed Trump's opening strikes in the 2026 Iran war.[^7] In June 2026, he voted against a war powers resolution meant to limit that war.[^7] - **One Big Beautiful Bill Act.** He voted for the act in 2025.[^7] - **Vice-presidential funding.** On November 8, 2023, Finstad and 100 other Republicans voted for an amendment to a large appropriations bill. The amendment would bar funding for the Office of Vice President Kamala Harris.[^7] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Finstad is a Republican and the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district.[^1] - Trump appointed him Minnesota state director of USDA Rural Development in November 2017.[^4] - In December 2024, his House website published a release on a Minnesota Republican delegation demand for answers about missing ballots. Its text is not in the pack.[^2] ### What - He served three terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives, the last as assistant minority leader.[^4] ### When - 2002: elected to the Minnesota House; seated in 2003; left in 2009.[^4] - November 2017 to 2021: Minnesota state director, USDA Rural Development.[^4] - August 12, 2022: sworn into the U.S. House.[^6] - November 5, 2024: re-elected to a third congressional term.[^5] ### Where - He was born in New Ulm and raised in Brown County.[^3] - His district covers part of southern Minnesota along the Iowa border.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Brad Finstad*, lead section (revision 1381186688, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes his office since 2022, district, party, Minnesota House 2003–2009, USDA Rural Development appointment and family farm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Finstad [^2]: Office of Rep. Brad Finstad, December 2024 release on the Minnesota Republican delegation and missing ballots (December 2024). Establishes that the release exists and what its address describes; the release text is not in the pack. https://finstad.house.gov/2024/12/minnesota-republican-delegation-demands-answers-about-election-integrity-in-minnesota-following-missing-ballots [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Brad Finstad*, "Early life and education" (revision 1381186688, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes his birth date and place, family farm and degree. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Finstad [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Brad Finstad*, "Early political career" (revision 1381186688, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes his early employment, Minnesota House service, Center for Rural Policy and Development, USDA appointment and Turkey Growers post. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Finstad [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Brad Finstad*, "U.S. House of Representatives — Elections" (revision 1381186688, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes the 2022 special primary and special election, the 2022 general election and the 2024 general election results. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Finstad [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Brad Finstad*, "U.S. House of Representatives — Tenure, caucus memberships, committee assignments" (revision 1381186688, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes his swearing-in, his Inflation Reduction Act vote, caucuses and 119th Congress assignments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Finstad [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Brad Finstad*, "Political positions" (revision 1381186688, retrieved 2026-10-26). Establishes his votes on the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Israel, Iran war powers, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the vice-presidential funding amendment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Finstad