Blog Post

Our Health Is at Stake

This election season, it’s more important than ever that we use our vote wisely to make real progress to build better lives for ourselves and our loved ones. And while national politics is important, our state-level elected officials play a huge role in shaping what life looks like for working people in Minnesota.

We’ve spoken with thousands of Minnesotans about the issues that matter most to them.

The top issue that we hear on the doors? Health care.

And here’s where you see how important it is to use that vote wisely this election season.

Walz Has a Plan

Tim Walz has a great plan for affordable, high-quality health care. By allowing everyone in Minnesota to buy into MinnesotaCare, Walz would open up a public option to give people a new choice in health insurance.

Many of us are struggling with skyrocketing costs for prescription medications. Right now, with MinnesotaCare, generic medicines are just $6. Imagine how much we could save if everyone had access to those savings.

And while Walz is a great candidate, we can’t build a better future for Minnesota without voting for the right people up and down the ballot.

The Power to Decide

Take the election for attorney general, for example. As Minnesota’s chief legal officer, the attorney general has the power to decide what goes to court and to make appointments for state Supreme Court justices. Anyone who has followed the state and federal courts knows that the people on that bench make a huge difference on what gets decided.

Republican candidate for attorney general Doug Wardlow has threatened to pack the state Supreme Court with conservative judges. In the state Legislature, Wardlow spearheaded an effort to prevent Minnesota from implementing the Affordable Care Act.

As attorney general, Keith Ellison would be an advocate for health care expansion in the courts. In Congress, Ellison backed a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical companies.

But we can only pass the reforms we need if we have a majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The Republican majority has obstructed reform, even threatening a government shutdown last year. If we build a majority of pro-worker and labor-endorsed candidates, we can pass laws that would make life better for working people in our state.

Along with the other important decisions we have to make, people across Minnesota will elect new representatives to the U.S. House.

The Republican majority in Congress has voted at least 70 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would roll back Medicaid expansion and eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE
When it comes to health care, our choices are clear. We need to elect people who will fight for better, more affordable health care, rather than Republicans who will turn back the clock to a time when people with pre-existing conditions could be denied health coverage.

It’s crucial that working people stand up and make their voices heard this November at every level of the ballot.

Prepared and paid for by Working America Minnesota Political Committee,815 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20006 in support of Tim Walz and Keith Ellison. This is an independent expenditure not circulated on behalf of any candidate or ballot committee.