Macalester College student Andrew Ojeda is running as a Republican for state representative in St. Paul's District 64A.
Ojeda, a junior, class of '13, works as a legislative intern at the state Capitol and has the GOP endorsement in the race.
His DFL opponent, state Rep. Erin Murphy, is seeking a third term in the heavily DFL district that includes the Mac-Groveland, Merriam Park and Summit Hill neighborhoods around the college.
Ojeda has a campaign kick-off event Thursday at Mac: 10:15 a.m. in the college's Weyerhaeuser Chapel. Supporters there will include Minnesota Young Americans for Liberty Chairman Tim Bertram and Minnesota College Republicans Chairman Ryan Lyk.
Says Ojeda:
"This campaign is about bringing people together. Republican, libertarian, independent or Democrat, the label does not matter. The people of Saint Paul are clamoring for true representation, not party affiliation. I am confident that our message of common-sense solutions, focused on getting our state’s economy back on track, will resonate with the citizens of this district."
Budget fixes are high on Ojeda's agenda:
"We see all around us at the fed level that if you don’t manage your budget things can happen," he told the Mac Weekly. "Coming from California, I saw that as well. Minnesota is kind of in this transitional state where they can decide what direction they want their state to go."