Donna Bergstrom
Donna Bergstrom (Republican Party) ran for election to the Minnesota State Senate to represent District 7. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Bergstrom completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Bergstrom ran on a joint ticket with the gubernatorial nominee, Jeff Johnson (R) in 2018.
Bergstrom was a 2016 Republican candidate for District 7 of the Minnesota State Senate.
Biography
Donna Bergstrom was born in Cloquet, Minnesota. She earned a B.A. from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 1985, a master's degree from Loyola University Chicago, School of Law in 2014, and an A.A. from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in 2018. Her professional experience includes working as a government relations consultant, as a senior consultant, and as a guardian ad litem for the 6th Judicial Court in Minnesota. Bergstrom served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1987 to 2010. She has been affiliated with the MN Federation of Republican Women, Lutheran Social Services, First Lutheran Church, and the MN American Indian Chamber of Commerce.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Minnesota State Senate District 7
Jen McEwen defeated Donna Bergstrom in the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 7 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jen McEwen (D)  | 68.3 | 30,526 |
 | Donna Bergstrom (R) | 31.5 | 14,081 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 76 | ||
| Total votes: 44,683 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 7
Jen McEwen defeated incumbent Erik Simonson in the Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 7 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jen McEwen | 73.5 | 8,603 |
 | Erik Simonson | 26.5 | 3,095 | |
| Total votes: 11,698 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 7
Donna Bergstrom advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 7 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Donna Bergstrom | 100.0 | 2,129 |
| Total votes: 2,129 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
Peggy Flanagan defeated Donna Bergstrom, Judith Schwartzbacker, and Mary O'Connor in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Peggy Flanagan (D) | 53.8 | 1,393,096 |
| Donna Bergstrom (R) | 42.4 | 1,097,705 | |
 | Judith Schwartzbacker (Grassroots Party) | 2.7 | 68,667 | |
 | Mary O'Connor (L) | 1.0 | 26,735 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 1,084 | ||
| Total votes: 2,587,287 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
Peggy Flanagan defeated Erin Maye Quade, Rick Nolan, James Mellin II, and Chris Edman in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Peggy Flanagan | 41.6 | 242,832 |
 | Erin Maye Quade | 32.0 | 186,969 | |
 | Rick Nolan | 24.6 | 143,517 | |
| James Mellin II | 1.1 | 6,398 | |
| Chris Edman | 0.7 | 4,019 | |
| Total votes: 583,735 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Zarina Baber (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
Donna Bergstrom defeated incumbent Michelle Fischbach and Theresa Loeffler in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Donna Bergstrom | 52.6 | 168,841 |
 | Michelle Fischbach | 43.9 | 140,743 | |
| Theresa Loeffler | 3.5 | 11,330 | |
| Total votes: 320,914 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2016
- See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Minnesota State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2016. Incumbent Roger Reinert (D) did not seek re-election.
Erik Simonson defeated Donna Bergstrom in the Minnesota State Senate District 7 general election.[2][3]
| Minnesota State Senate, District 7 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Erik Simonson |
65.67% | 27,677 | |
| Republican | Donna Bergstrom | 34.33% | 14,470 | |
| Total Votes | 42,147 | |||
| Source: Minnesota Secretary of State | ||||
Erik Simonson ran unopposed in the Minnesota State Senate District 7 Democratic primary.[4][5]
| Minnesota State Senate, District 7 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Erik Simonson (unopposed) | |
Donna Bergstrom ran unopposed in the Minnesota State Senate District 7 Republican primary.[4][5]
| Minnesota State Senate, District 7 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Donna Bergstrom (unopposed) | |
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Donna Bergstrom completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bergstrom's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
The Right Voice, Right now. Donna is a military Veteran and member of the Republican Party who ran as the endorsed 2016 MN State Senate candidate in District 7, and was the endorsed Republican Lieutenant Governor candidate in 2018 with Jeff Johnson for Governor. She was one of the first two American Indian women in the state of Minnesota to run in the general election for LtGov. Donna grew up in Carlton, the fifth child of seven children to LeRoy and Carol Bergstrom. Donna is a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized Tribe in MN, where her mother was born and raised, and her father is a second generation Swedish/Norwegian immigrant. Donna graduated from the Univ Minnesota-Twin Cities in 1985 with a degree in Political Science. She obtained her Master of Jurisprudence degree in 2014 from Loyola University Chicago-School of Law (Civitas Center) in Children's Law and Policy. She has a degree in American and Anishinaabe Education from the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Donna obtained her reserve commission through the United States Marine Corps' Officer Candidate School (OCS-87) as a Second Lieutenant in December of 1987. She graduated from The Basic School, June 1988 with a Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) in Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Officer. She served over twenty years: Commanding Officer, Co D, MarSupBtn, Galeta Island Panama; HQ USMC Branch Chief, SIGINT; US Sen liaison; and other Intel Staff assignments.
- First Native American Woman in the MN Senate, and a Veteran of the US Marine Corps.
- Education that is student focused, that lifts up all students.
- Supporting a civil society: We are a nation of laws, where no one lives above the law and society benefits from good order.
Education: MN has some of the Nation's highest persistent achievement gaps between Caucasian and non-Caucasian students. Throwing more money at the problem is not the solution. Capping classroom sized in K-3 is one solution-where children are learning to read before they read to learn. Offering parent-driven choices puts the control of student education back in the hands of the people who know best what education works for their child.
Taxes: MN's lowest income tax rate is higher than the highest tax rate in over 20 other states. Add into that sales tax, user fees, property tax, etc. and we can see that taxes are TOO HIGH in MN for what citizens receive in return.
Accountability: When a society looks to a "government" to provide funding for projects X, Y and Z for example, we need to remember that the money ultimately comes from the tax payers. Audit and provide oversight.
State's Rights: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." In that lies the power-it's in the people. State's need to push back against Federal government overreach, in areas that are the purview of the States.
Supporting a Civil Society: Our nation was founded on a system of laws that has shaped our history and sustains our future. We need to uphold the standards of law and order, so that all people in our communities feel safe. We can't get there by defunding the police.
The U.S. Constitution.
The Federalist Papers.
To garner the public trust.
Trustworthy leadership.
To uphold the oath of office upon which the individual is entering.
To do the right thing, even when no one is looking.
Common sense legislation.
Although I did not know it at the time, the first historical event that personally happened to me was graduating from college, in four years, on-time, and as a first generation graduate.
In that moment, I became one of about only 25% of American Indians who achieve a degree from a higher learning institution. For me, obtaining my college degree was a dream that I had had for years, but one that I did not know was "suppose" to be an effort that defeated the odds. Once I had my degree, I was informed over and over, that no one could take my education from me. It was also at that moment that I felt the exhilaration of learning, of critical thinking, of testing my metal. I went on to obtain a Master of Jurisprudence and an Associate Degree, in that order.
Once again, this set up another historical event, because even less American Indians have a graduate degree.
No, not necessarily. I bring a broad and diverse background that will serve my district citizens well in the state legislature.
Anarchy. The spiral down into chaos, mayhem and lawlessness are killing our communities, our families and ultimately our state.
The governor exercises authority through the executive branch, as a way of balancing power between the three branches of state government. The governor is responsible for implementing state laws and for approving the expenditure of taxes taken in by the state, primarily. The governor should have a respect for the work of the state legislature, and work to support those laws in the best interest of the majority of state citizens. Further, the governor should be the true champion of states' rights:
"Powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for states and the people, which are divided between state and local governments."
Absolutely. Presenting a bill that has bi-partisan support, or at least multiple legislator support will help make the case for the necessity of the bill. In addition, legislators need to respect that each one was sent to the chamber by the voice of the people.
Veterans
Education
Health and Human Services
The story of the student who dropped out of school due to the bullying. When asked if a teacher or trusted adult was informed, the response was "it was the teachers." That is a signal our educational system needs tuning.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2016
Bergstrom's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[6]
Education
- Excerpt: "This responsibility to make a choice regarding the education of one’s child is a "liberty" protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. Other landmark decisions made by the US Supreme Court confirm and support parents’ fundamental right in choosing the method of education best suited for their children."
The minority education gap
- Excerpt: "[I]n the State of Minnesota, American Indian students graduate at about a 49% rate, far below that of their non-Native peers. ... Change is required in our educational system today to turn these statistics around."
Second Amendment right
- Excerpt: "The importance of a free citizenry able to defend itself against tyranny was well understood by the States that ratified amendments to the Constitution."
The 10th Amendment and the preservation of democracy
- Excerpt: "The purpose of this amendment was and remains clear: The federal government is vested with certain specified authorities; issues that reside beyond the boundaries of those authorities are the provenance of the individual states. And it is this concept, central to our republic, that is under threat."
See also
2020 Elections
| Minnesota | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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- Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
- Minnesota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018
- Minnesota State Senate
- Minnesota State Senate District 7
- Minnesota State Senate elections, 2016
- Minnesota State Legislature
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 12, 2020
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "General election results, 2016," accessed December 19, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings," accessed June 3, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota State Primary: Tuesday, August 9, 2016," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ Donna Bergstrom for MN, "Issues," accessed October 6, 2016
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