Editor's Note: Through Tuesday, Patch is running bios on the candidates for District 46 seats. These races will be decided during the General Election on Nov. 6. Today, we look at Rep. Ryan Winkler, the Democratic incumbent in District 46A. Tomorrow, we'll look at his opponent, John Swanson.
Rep. Ryan Winkler
Party: DFL
District: 46A
Elected: to the House in 2006, and re-elected in 2008 and 2010
Committees: Government Operations and Elections, Legacy Funding Division, State Government Finance
Occupation: Attorney
Education: BA from Harvard, JD from University of Minnesota
Home: Golden Valley
Age: 36
Family: Wife, Jenny, and three children
Proudest accomplishment in office:
“My proudest moment in office was passing the Interstate 35W compensation bill,” Winker said. This legislation, which passed in 2008, compensated the 185 victims that were affected by the bridge collapse.
“The state owned that bridge and it was important for the state to step up and help the people that were injured or killed that day,” he said.
As part of the bill, the state contributed $40 million to a compensation fund set up for those affected by the collapse.
Priorities:
“Overall, I want to find common ground for both parties to work on together that strengthens our state,” Winkler said. As part of that overall goal, Winkler says the following are on his to-do list:
- Make tax codes simpler for people and businesses.
- Connect high school students with certification programs so they have a technical education as soon as they graduate and can enter the workforce.
- Increase the amount of research and development from colleges by making grant money more accessible.
