A lifelong resident of Saint Louis Park, John still lives in the home his grandfather built, a testament to his deep roots in the community he hopes to represent in Washington. Throughout his life, John has made tough calls in high-stakes environments. Now, he is stepping up once more to serve his neighbors, his city, and his country.
Born to a hardworking middle-class family, John learned early the values of compassion, faith, service, and hard work. His grandfather, a volunteer firefighter in Golden Valley, sparked John’s passion for public service by taking him on visits to the fire station as a child. Those visits planted the seed for a lifelong career spent protecting Minnesotans.
A devoted husband to Connie since 1988, a proud father of two, and a recent grandfather, John’s life is firmly grounded in faith, family, and public service.
While pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of St. Thomas, John interned with the Edina Police and rode along with officers in Saint Louis Park. His dedication to service led him to the Minnesota State Patrol Academy in 1981. As a State Trooper, John patrolled the highways of Hennepin County and also worked as a safety consultant for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. His leadership and trustworthiness earned him assignments on the Governor’s security detail and training opportunities with the FBI and U.S. Secret Service.
The Republican majority has been working hard to reverse the harmful policies pushed by Ilhan Omar and the Biden administration, but there is still much more to do. President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill brought real relief to hardworking Americans, and in Congress, I will fight to end Washington’s reckless spending once and for all.
For years, Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies have tied the hands of law enforcement and cost innocent people their lives. In Congress, I will work with the Attorney General to make sure violent criminals are kept off our streets, schools are fully protected, and our men and women in blue receive the funding and support they deserve. As a law enforcement officer, I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that police officers bring to their communities. Our nation must stand with law enforcement and empower them to keep every American safe.
Ilhan Omar and the Democratic Party have pushed for a wide-open southern border for years, and the results have been devastating: more drugs flooding our communities, more human trafficking, and more violent criminals entering our country. The Trump Administration has made significant progress to finally secure the border and put Americans first. In Congress, I will fight to make sure our border is locked down so tightly that Democrats can never tear it open again. Border security is not just an immigration issue; it is a national security issue, and I will treat it as such.
For too long, our school system has been hijacked by activists who care more about pushing political agendas than teaching our kids the basics. Parents are sick of their children falling behind in reading, math, and science. In Congress, I will fight to ensure our schools return to their core purpose: educating our children and preparing them for success. We need classrooms that focus on learning, not indoctrination. A strong America starts with strong schools.
America should never be reliant on foreign nations that drive up prices and weaken us on the world stage. Democrats have done everything they can to drive up energy costs. From shutting down pipelines to blocking drilling and pushing their radical Green New Deal agenda, they've left families paying the price with higher utility bills and pain at the pump. In Congress, I will fight to unleash American energy, cut costs for hardworking families, and end our dangerous reliance on foreign adversaries. With strong leadership, we can achieve American energy dominance.
Extremists like Ilhan Omar have tried to divide our communities with dangerous rhetoric, radical politics, and open displays of antisemitism. In Congress, I will work to bring people together around our shared American values. I will never tolerate Jew-hatred in any form and will always put people before politics. Our district deserves a leader who unites, not divides, someone who will stand up to the radicals who push hate and extremism.
John also showed extraordinary courage in the field. He once climbed onto a freeway sign to rescue a suicidal individual, and another time used a PIT maneuver to stop a fleeing bank robbery suspect during a high-speed pursuit.
After retiring as a Field Lieutenant in 2011, John never stopped serving. He taught defensive driving and college courses on terrorism and world governments, while also serving on the security team for the Minnesota Twins. He also became a Minnesota DNR Youth Firearm Instructor, teaching safety, ethics, and survival skills to the next generation of outdoorsmen.
