KROX is continuing our 2026 Election coverage with an introduction to the two candidates for the Minnesota House in District 1B.
The candidates running for Minnesota House District 1B are incumbent Steve Gander (R) and Jennifer Compeau (DFL).
Tell us about your family.
Gander: “My name is Steve Gander. My wife Rosalyn passed away last year, so I’m a widower, and I have two sons, Thomas and Jonathan. Tom has a wife, Bailey, and three kids, so I also have three grandkids.”
Compeau: “Alright, my name is Jennifer Compeau, and my partner is Jason, and we have two kids, Jasmine and Jamison, all Jays.”
Why did you file to run for the Minnesota House District 1B?
Gander: “You know, there’s a lot of work still to be done down there. I have enjoyed very much working with people, all the people down there, in as close to a bipartisan fashion as I can. You know, you see in the news that a lot of these issues are really polarized and partisan, and there’s a lot of bickering. Sure enough, there is, but there’s also a lot of common ground that we can find down there. And I’m willing to work with anyone, both sides of the aisle, anyone bringing common sense and serving the people, right? Listening to the people that we serve. I enjoy, you know, I’ve been traveling around this whole summer, and I’ve been doing it the last couple years, going to all the community festivals, county fairs, all the parades, and just I feel like I could be from any one of these communities. The welcome that they’ve given, the connection that we have, that’s really the fun of it is just connecting with the people, serving them, and bringing their ideas, bringing their good passion and their enthusiasm to St. Paul, where the decisions are made.”
Compeau: “Well, I feel like representation isn’t exactly representing all of us; only a portion of us. And I feel that we can do better. I have personal experience navigating many of the systems that we’re trying to get to work better, and I think that lived experience has a lot to offer at the tables where the decisions are being made.”
What ideas or policies that you’ve been working on would you continue working on if re-elected?
Gander: “You know, in the time that we are right now in Minnesota, we have to still double down on fraud. It’s going to be anywhere from when the total comes in, it’s $9 billion to $18 billion of your money, the taxpayers’ money that’s been stolen by these criminal fraudsters. So step one, we got to convict them, we’ve got to sentence them, and they’ve got to make restitution and pay back every dime that we can claw back. And at the same time, we need to safeguard our programs going forward so this cannot happen again, and we’re doing exactly that. You’ll hear in some detail, that could be one of the questions later on asked tonight. What are you doing to safeguard these programs from future fraud, and theft? It’s happening. Happy to say, I’m part of that, and it’s still job one. I don’t care what anybody else says. For the next couple of years, we’ve got to stop the fraudulent money going out and convict the fraudsters that that have been doing it. Send a strong message: you can’t do this. You got to stop. Not going to tolerate it.”
What experiences have you had that will help you if elected?
Compeau: “Navigating healthcare, mental healthcare, the justice system, housing, rural development, nonprofit leadership. I really think nonprofit leadership is a huge asset, especially at a time like now. Minnesota is facing and has been facing unprecedented adversity, so, who better than someone who has also experienced that and come out on the other side to help the state navigate and get through that.”
Is there anything else that you want the voters to know about you?
Gander: “Get out and vote this fall. It’s a midterm election. You might think not too much at stake. There’s a lot at stake. We want big, big turnout up in this area of the state where common sense prevails, because we have to overwhelm the ignorance, sadly, that comes out of some of the metro areas. So, big voter turnout in Greater Minnesota to overwhelm the really awful ideas and policies coming out of the metro area.”
Compeau: “I look forward to earning your vote, meeting you out in person, please contact me via my website or my email. My website and email are connected. www.jenncforhouse1b.com.”
