Reprinted from the Fergus Fall Journal www.fergusfallsjournal.com
Local Republicans have a candidate for Minnesota House District 12A.
Browns Valley school board member and small business owner Jeff Backer won the first ballot endorsement of western Minnesota Republicans at the 12A Republican Convention held in Elbow Lake Saturday. Backer won the endorsement over Nancy Taffe, of Morris, and will face first term Democrat incumbent Jay McNamar of Elbow Lake in the November election.
“I am honored to receive Republican endorsement and to begin my campaign on the time-tested, rural Minnesota values: fiscal responsibility; support for seniors, agriculture, our small town main streets; family values, education reform and accountability,” Backer said.
At the convention, Backer cited McNamar’s voting record in pointing out key differences between the two candidates.
“After just over one year in office, it is clear Jay McNamar is a lockstep supporter of the agenda of the metro Democrats. On virtually every issue – from tax increases on our farmers and small town business owners, to supporting the failed MNsure/Obamacare health care debacle to voting for gay marriage despite the fact that 64 percent of his constituents support traditional marriage — ‘Metro’ Jay has turned his back on rural Minnesota,” Backer said.
The convention, chaired by Cheryl “Kit” Nichol of Wolverton and coordinated by Dan Pagel of Morris, was attended by over 155 delegates representing each of the seven counties in District 12A.
“I’m looking forward to learning the concerns of the families, farmers and small business owners of western Minnesota, from Ortonville in the south to Wolverton in the north and from Browns Valley in the west to Brandon in the east and in every community in-between,” he said.
Backer is serving his second term as a member of the Browns Valley School Board and is the former three term mayor of Browns Valley. He has served as a volunteer EMT for the Browns Valley Ambulance Service for nearly 18 years. He has also served on the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training. Backer and his brother have operated a small business, BW Incorporated, for 23 years that currently employs 14 people. He is married and has one daughter. The family attends Zion Lutheran Church.