Longtime Crookston resident Mike Christopherson, unanimously endorsed by the DFL, officially filed his candidacy on May 21, 2024 for Minnesota House of Representatives District 1B. In early May, he was nominated by former Senator Roger Moe at the Polk/Red Lake County DFL Endorsing Convention in Crookston.
“I am excited and honored to receive this endorsement,” Christopherson said. “I’m also eager to get out in District 1B and talk to people about what they’d like to see happen at the legislature that could do some good for them as well as our region.”
Christopherson, 54, and his wife, Michelle, have been married for almost 28 years. They have two adult sons, Ethan and Trey. Michelle has worked for the University of Minnesota Crookston for almost 25 years, serving in a variety of leadership roles. She is currently the director of Outreach and Engagement on campus. Ethan is a senior admissions counselor at UMN Crookston, and Trey, after starting with First Community Credit Union in Crookston, recently transferred to FCCU’s Grand Forks branch, where he is a business associate.
Christopherson earned a bachelor of science degree in communications/broadcast journalism from Moorhead State University in 1992. He spent the bulk of his professional career as a reporter and then managing editor at the Crookston Times, with two stints at the newspaper, from 1994 to 2001, and again from 2004 to 2021. Between those two stints at the Times, he worked in the Service Learning program at UMN Crookston and was also a teaching specialist on campus. Feeling that corporate media’s mission was drifting too far from the importance of small-town, local journalism, Christopherson resigned from the Times in the summer of 2021. Since October of that year, he has been the full-time substitute teacher at Fisher Public School and holds a Tier 1 Minnesota teaching license in 5th-12th grade Communication, Arts and Literature.
Following his endorsement, Christopherson and his team have been busy ordering a variety of campaign materials. Facebook, Instagram and X campaign social media accounts have been launched, as well as a website, mikechristopherson.com. There, visitors can learn more about Christopherson and his stances on various issues important to residents of District 1B, as well as submit donations towards his campaign. An account, “Christopherson for House 1B,” has also been opened at First Community Credit Union.
While he’s being advised by local and area DFL leaders and officials, Christopherson has also formed a campaign committee, chaired by area farmer and Crookston School Board member Tim Dufault.
So why is Christopherson seeking the Minnesota House District 1B seat as a DFLer?
“Because I love it here and I’m a proud Minnesotan,” he stated. “I want to be a voice of reason in St. Paul, and a champion for the things that truly matter to us in northwest Minnesota.”
Some of those things include:
– Economic growth and a strong, stable, reliable, well-trained and adequately compensated workforce;
– investments in public schools so that they are equipped to prepare young people from all cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds for successful futures;
– public infrastructure investments that are more proactive than reactive;
– the vitality of rural Minnesota and communities not just maintaining their populations but growing them;
– caring for and supporting our growing elderly friends and neighbors;
– strong, stable family farms and ag operations, and thriving agribusinesses;
– accessible, exceptional healthcare, whether it’s our physical or mental health;
and,
– the importance of our great outdoors and Minnesota’s natural resources.
Christopherson is hitting the campaign trail, and, on Saturday, June 1, he and members of his team will be at the Small Town Saturday event in Climax and also at the Erskine Water Carnival parade.
In his spare time, Christopherson loves spending time at Maple Lake, where his parents, Mark and Kathy Christopherson, reside. He also enjoys golfing, playing pool, reading, listening to music, standing around backyard bonfires, following Minnesota’s professional sports teams and the Gophers, and obsessing over fantasy football.
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