2026 MN House District 17B Candidate
DFL

“There was no single reason that caused me to run for office. Seeing the struggles in the rural communities including my own was becoming too hard to watch. I could no longer sit back to just “wait and see” how everything turned out and decided to become politically active to help those in need who don’t have their voices heard.”

— Ben Wieman —

Name: Ben Wieman
Website: https://benformnhouse.com
Email address: info@benformnhouse.com
City of residence: Arlington Township

Professional and volunteer background: 

Audio/video applications engineer for Biamp Systems; Musician/performer — Vocals, drums, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano.

Why did you decide to run for a seat in the Minnesota House: 

There was no single reason that caused me to run for office. Seeing the struggles in the rural communities including my own was becoming too hard to watch. I could no longer sit back to just “wait and see” how everything turned out and decided to become politically active to help those in need who don’t have their voices heard.

What makes you the best candidate in this race: 

I’m young and full of energy. I’m a local resident familiar with the culture with a fresh start to politics who’s more than ready to bring needed change to this state and community. In my day job, I work with people around the world to solve technical issues with missing or bad information and critically think to identify what is true to produce a working solution for them. I would love to take these skills to St. Paul!

What would be your top 3 priorities if elected to the Minnesota House: 

My top three priorities would be agriculture, education and fairness, because they are the foundation of strong rural communities. Agriculture is the backbone to our local economy and supports working families, so we need policies that protect family farms and keep rural Minnesota thriving. Education matters because fully funded schools create opportunities for our kids and help communities grow. Fairness ties it all together by making sure working families, rural communities and veterans are treated with the same respect and investment as anywhere else in the state.

If you were elected and could be guaranteed approval on one legislative bill in the upcoming session, what would that one bill address? 

That’s a tough one. There are many good bills that didn’t pass this year, though if I could guarantee passage of one I would create a new bill that focuses on investing in affordable childcare, rural healthcare access and workforce support. Families need childcare to stay in the workforce, employers need workers, and communities need healthcare to remain strong and livable. This would also greatly benefit farmers who have to get their own insurance. A bill that helps stabilize those foundations would support working families, small/family farms, local businesses and the long-term future of Greater Minnesota.

What has been the biggest failure attributed to legislative action or inaction in recent years:

One of the biggest failures has been not doing enough to support rural communities facing rising costs, healthcare access challenges, and pressure on family farms and small businesses. Too often, legislative debates get stuck in partisan fights while Greater Minnesota waits for practical solutions. We need more focus on lowering barriers to childcare, strengthening rural healthcare, and making sure schools, roads and broadband keep our communities strong and competitive.

What are your thoughts on the current level of taxation in Minnesota: 

Minnesota’s tax system should be fair, responsible and easy to understand. With working families, farmers and small businesses already facing higher costs, we need to be careful about adding more financial pressure. Taxes are necessary to fund schools, roads, infrastructure and essential services, but they should provide real value. I support balanced tax policies that help everyday Minnesotans succeed without shifting the burden onto those who can least afford it.

With so much attention focused on national issues, how will you engage the community to increase awareness of local issues? 

I’ll stay engaged by showing up and listening directly to people across the district. That means town halls, community events, conversations with local leaders, and being accessible outside of election season. In this day and age, we can use email or social media to stay connected with constituents. Local issues matter most when people feel heard, so I want to stay focused on concerns like agriculture, schools, housing, healthcare, roads and small businesses. I’ll bring those conversations forward and ensure local voices are not drowned out by national political noise.