Making Minnesotans’ life more affordable and accessible is the top priority state Senate DFL-endorsed candidate Simon Glaser is bringing to his campaign for District 24. When it comes to the cost of essentials like groceries, healthcare, childcare, and housing he knows it’s not just voters associated with one party or another who are struggling.
Glaser has a goal to knock on 17,000 doors this summer and he’s hit 2,500 already. From the voters he’s talked to so far, he says it’s Independents and Republicans, not just Democrats, who are saying that affordability is their top issue heading into the midterm elections. “This isn’t rocket science. We have an expectation in this country that we’re going to have an opportunity to succeed, and people feel like they’re not getting that opportunity,” Glaser said.
A background in service
Glaser’s been a public educator for the last 30 years. He currently is an English teacher for Rochester Public Schools after moving there with his family in 2010. He first got involved in teaching by joining nonprofit Teach for America right after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “For me, it was a political decision. It was about community service, and I was content with that as my role for the community,” he said.
After teaching across the country, he decided to get involved in the political side of teaching. As part of the Rochester Education Association, Glaser said he led groups of teachers to the Capitol in St. Paul, conducted candidate endorsement screenings for the union, and then landed himself on the negotiations team. When teachers were telling him, “Get us a good deal, don’t back down. We haven’t had a good contract in 20 years,” that’s when Glaser says he came to a realization.
“It was already too late, because the state had already portioned the money to the school district…By the time we sat down at the negotiations table, all of those decisions had already been made.” This is when Glaser decided the only way he could help teachers, cafeteria workers, building engineers, janitors, and more, was to run for office so that he would have a chance to help write the budget himself.
From that point forward, he says he started paying attention to how the government operates and—in his view—how it was failing his community beyond teachers like him: farmers, nurses, the average Minnesotan. “I started realizing that it was time to stop looking around, waiting for somebody to step up, and run for this seat,” Glaser said.
Running in SD24
When Glaser decided to run for state Senate in 2024, the race looked very different. Incumbent Republican Sen. Carla Nelson was Glaser’s main opponent. Glaser actually had run-ins with Nelson frequently as a part of the teachers union as he lobbied for pensions, healthcare, and higher pay. “She was always very polite and very nice, and she asked good questions. And then, she voted against us every single time,” he said. Glaser describes his and Nelson’s differences as “fundamental disagreements on educational funding and policy, along with a number of other things.”
And then Nelson announced her retirement this May. The GOP candidate that entered the race shortly after is Nels Pierson, a Republican who served as a Minnesota House Representative for District 26B from 2015 to 2023. Because it’s no longer Nelson gunning for reelection, and Pierson has name recognition, Glaser said, “Many are considering the seat a tossup at this point.” But, he adds, “I know we’re working harder. I know we’re talking to more voters. I know we’re going to win this race.”
The issues haven’t changed
A few months ago, President Donald Trump said it “isn’t possible” for the federal government to fund Medicare and childcare because “we have to take care of one thing: military protection.” Trump added this could be done “on a state basis.” Glaser says this topic has repeatedly come up when talking to voters while doorknocking, and that people are starting to wonder who will be making those decisions in St. Paul. “Even though I’m no longer running against Carla Nelson, I think the issues haven’t changed…This campaign has been about looking at what’s going on in Rochester, in Dodge County, seeing what’s not working, and trying to figure out, how do we put people first?”
This time around, Glaser has picked up multiple endorsements from prominent organizations, such as the AFL-CIO, Education Minnesota, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, AFSCME, and Planned Parenthood. All these groups have also endorsed other DFL candidates this year.
Democrats in the Minnesota Senate during this year’s legislature only held an advantage by one seat, a 34-33 balance. The House was tied at 67-67. Democrats will need to keep the Senate by winning in districts like SD24 and also take the House by at least one more seat to have a legislative majority in 2027.
While Glaser says he “can’t promise you’re going to agree with me on every issue,” he said he can promise that he will make informed decisions. “I’m used to working with people that disagree with me, I’m a school teacher. When I’m confronted with a new situation, I go into it, I talk to experts, and try to make the best decision I can. And I always center what is best for the people of my district.”
