Dear Friends and Neighborhoods,

I want to introduce myself to those of you new to our community and to reacquaint myself with those of you who have lived here for awhile. My name is Mike Nelson and I represent you at the Capitol and I want to continue to fight for our interests in the House of Representatives.

I am a longtime resident of Brooklyn Park where I live with my wonderful wife Kathy. We raised our three sons, Peter, Raymond and William, here and I understand the unique struggles our community and state face. After working as a carpenter, and then as a business agent for the carpenters, I value our biggest asset, the people of this state. You are my priority. It is you folks that create jobs, drive innovation and go to work everyday to take care of your families.

Growing up, my family moved to Brooklyn Center in 1957. I graduated from Park Center High School and then went to Hennepin Technical College to learn carpentry. I worked as a carpenter then went to work for the Carpenters Union in spring of 2000. My wife and I purchased our first home in North Minneapolis before moving back to Brooklyn Park in 1986.

I was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2002, and served as an Assistant Majority Leader for 2 years. In 2009, I became the Chair of the Local Government Committee, where I crossed the partisan divide to provide mandate relief to cities, counties and townships. These reforms saved the local units of government money, so they could still provide needed services during this economic downturn. These reforms were a pragmatic solution and widely successful. I currently serve as the Chair of the House State Government Government Finance and Elections committee.

Years of doing negotiations between labor and industry have also prepared me to handle tough negotiations as a representative. I understand both sides of the issue and to work for solutions that everyone can live with.

When I’m not serving you in the House, I love to get out and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors. I am an avid hunter and enjoy photographing wildlife.

Minnesota is my home and a great place to live. I will continue working hard to make sure it remains a great state with opportunities for everyone to make a decent living, get a good education and pursue their dreams.

I hope to personally speak with you this summer. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, give me a call at home or at my office. It is an honor to serve the folks of Brooklyn Park, and I look forward to representing our community again in the House of Representatives.

Sincerely,

Mike Nelson
Minnesota State Representative
Running in District 38A