Sen. John Jasinski announces district re-election campaign

State Senator John Jasinski of Faribault announced today he will run for re-election in 2026, asking residents of Goodhue, Rice, Steele, and Waseca Counties to send him back to St. Paul to continue pushing for safer roads, stronger oversight of state spending, and a more affordable Minnesota.

 

Sen. Jasinski, a Republican who has represented Senate District 19 since 2017, said he plans to focus his campaign on concerns he hears from residents across southern Minnesota.

“It has been the honor of my life to represent the people of District 19,” Sen. Jasinski said. “Minnesotans deserve safer roads and bridges, far better oversight of government spending, protections against fraud, and policies that make life easier for families, farmers, and small businesses.”

 

Sen. Jasinski said rising costs, state mandates, and repeated failures to stop fraud in government programs are issues he hears about most from constituents. He said he intends to focus on affordability for working families and seniors, support for law enforcement, protecting local control, and securing new investments in Greater Minnesota infrastructure.

 

He also said he will continue advocating for tougher safeguards to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in state programs, a theme Senate Republicans have emphasized for the past two years as revelations of widespread fraud have drawn national scrutiny.

 

“Minnesotans are frustrated, and they should be,” Sen. Jasinski said. “I’ll keep fighting for balance, for accountability, for common sense, and for the values that make our communities strong.”

 

Sen. Jasinski also said he wants the Legislature to refocus on improving student achievement. He noted the state has provided record funding for schools over the years, but test scores have remained low while burdensome new state mandates have strained school budgets. Sen. Jasinski said his priority is strengthening core areas of instruction like reading, writing, math and science, and giving local schools more flexibility to direct funding toward classroom learning rather than new regulations.

 

Sen. Jasinski, who serves as Deputy Republican Leader, has emerged as one of the GOP’s leading voices on transportation, infrastructure, and government accountability and oversight. He is the Republican lead on the Senate Transportation Committee and sits on the Capital Investment and Finance committees. He has also been heavily involved in candidate recruitment and fundraising efforts aimed at helping Republicans retake the Senate majority in 2026.

 

A lifelong Faribault resident and Navy veteran, Sen. Jasinski previously served on the Faribault City Council and as the city’s mayor from 2008 to 2016. He continues to serve on the Faribault Charter Commission and the Faribault Industrial Corporation and works as a real estate broker with MDC Real Estate.

 

Sen. Jasinski said he plans to continue meeting with residents of District 19 to outline his agenda, which includes improving affordability, expanding transportation and infrastructure funding, strengthening rural healthcare, supporting agriculture and small businesses, funding and mandate relief for local schools, and preventing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

 

“Minnesota needs a more balanced government that puts Minnesotans first,” Sen. Jasinski said. “That’s what I’m fighting for.”