We’ve got a lot of work to do!

Let’s get the job done together.

Where do we start?

It has been a rough eight years, with COVID, divisive politics, the economy, immigration issues, climate disasters, mass shootings. Wages have gone up for some to include a living wage, which is good for families, but those increases have been eaten up by higher prices for some products and services.

Some producers are jacking up prices higher than needed to cover increased costs, giving them record profits while families pay higher costs for basic items. Thank you to those who are doing a better job of providing for their customers at reasonable prices.

Still, families are justifiably concerned. The high cost of housing, childcare, healthcare and other types of insurance are eating up the family budget. Higher education is needed, but those costs are going up, too.

Housing is becoming unaffordable for entry-level workers, many seniors who need to downsize, and adult children ready to start their own families. We need to get creative in financing, community support, zoning, and expanding our thinking about types of housing options. These are challenges faced in all of our communities. Our small cities have their hands more than full trying to create options.

Childcare is costing families an average of $13,000 per year, per child, assuming young parents can even find an opening anywhere near where they work or live.

We access to affordable, reliable broadband internet. Inroads have been made, but we must continue to support this effort to give our rural residents access and keep our outstate communities thriving.

Our families need access to healthcare and emergency services within reach, including ambulance services.

Climate change is causing death and destruction at an enormous cost to life and property. This crisis means we must elect leaders and representatives who take it seriously. Those who deny or delay taking action will be the same ones who refuse to bear the consequences.

Young people preparing to leave high school need options to take the next steps to prepare for their future. Access to not only two and four-year colleges and universities but also trade schools will provide critical learning opportunities in a variety of fields to meet not only their economic needs but also the long-term needs of our communities.

Freedom to live safely from gun violence and mass killings is critical. Our communities and law enforcement are being harmed by an extreme agenda allowing unfettered access to weapons in the hands of those who intend to do us harm. We can and should find a balance between personal freedom and responsibility.

Freedom to vote is not only a right of citizenship, but I believe it is a duty. Some will try to keep us from voting or having our votes counted, and then blame us.

Freedom includes the right to make private decisions about our health care. This right means having access to the full range of family planning services, affordable health care, preventative dental care, and mental health services.

To solve the major issues of today and tomorrow, we need the best and the brightest working on these issues. The solutions may come from anyone, anywhere. We need to ensure that all people have access to a robust education, from pre-K through post-secondary studies, including college and trade schools, so that all of us can be productive, support our families, and contribute to our communities.

Yes, we have lots of work to do. Yet, there is cause for hope.

I am no stranger to hard work and will work hard to tackle these problems with common-sense solutions, accessing advice and ideas from the best experts we can find. I’ve learned that no one person has the answers to everything. I’m not too proud to ask those who are affected by policies what they have come to know.

As a wife and mother, I worked full time while attending college full time to get my bachelor’s degree and managed to graduate with high honors. I still cooked most meals and managed a household in ways most women understand. My husband and I raised our two children and became foster parents to children with special needs.

We are now doing what we can to make sure our grandchildren have at least the same opportunities we had. We need to preserve our planet and its resources for them and the children of the future.

I will continue to work hard if elected to serve you in the Minnesota Legislature, and I will need your help to get there. Please consider donating what you can and volunteer to let other people know about my candidacy. I will not take money from special interests who put their needs ahead of our community. We are divided in so many ways. We need to remember our underlying values. More than ever, we need leaders skilled at collaboration and building community.

I am running for office as a public servant in order to make things better. I believe in a life of service and am committed to leaving our communities stronger, and our neighbors safer, happier, and more prosperous. As the late Senator Paul Wellstone used to say, “We all do better when we all do better.” I know that this is true. None of us can do it alone. Together we can move mountains.

As a community volunteer and member of our local Chamber of Commerce, I have spoken with hundreds of residents and business owners about what is important to them, and I would love to hear from you! Please see the Contact page to let me know how to reach you.

Follow us on Facebook at Brazelton for MN House. You just might see one of our new social media ads. There is already more than enough hostility in the world, so I am trying to keep my messaging positive. I hope you agree. If you like the messages, please like the page, and share the posts.

Thank you.

Chris Brazelton

Education/Economy

Quality of life is slipping for all but the wealthiest.  We have built a great State with great people through a lot of hard work and tough choices.  We need to head back in the right direction and can do that by finding common ground.  We will never do that by sniping at one another.  It's time for real change. We don’t know where the next great leaders in business, innovation, medicine and other fields will come from, but we do know that they need a quality education in order to reach their fullest potential. And that education includes not only college, but trade schools. There are lots of options for a bright future!

Economy/Climate Change

In order for our children and their children to have a healthy planet to live on and plan for a bright future, we must take action now. The fuels that built our economy in years past is putting our future at risk. But there is reason for hope. Green energy and storage technologies have advanced in leaps and bounds in the last ten years. A new alternative energy economy has already begun in manufacturing, installation and maintenance in all things that use energy. Energy independence in a global market will depend on energy resources available close to home.

Health Care

I'm running for people like my cousin.  She didn't have insurance.  When a varicose vein in her leg ruptured, like so many others without insurance, she didn't go to a doctor.  She hoped it would get better on its own. It didn't. When she could no longer stand the pain, she broke down and went to the emergency room.  The leg was infected and the infection was septic.  She was admitted to the hospital, where she died. Access to affordable health care that covers not only physical illness and injury but also mental and emotional health is critical. Access to family planning services including contraception is critical, especially for those who can’t afford to raise more children.