TJ Hawthorne
IndependentQ1 If elected, in what capacities would you refer to scientists when you are deciding how to vote on a policy?
“If I believe it to be pertinent, I will consult scientists every time. I just don’t believe there is anything politicians should be doing, that concerns science. The food we eat…get politics OUT. The environment…I’ve never met a politician who didn’t think they had ALL the answers for “Climate Change” but I have yet to see anything work.
The one spot in government that could use some real scientist help is the local municipalities that are providing clean drinking water.
When there is an incentive for data to come out in a certain way, and persuade our population to believe “we need” to do __, that’s not science to me.”
KEYWORDS: Get Government OUT
Q2 Recently H.J. Res 140 passed, overturning a 20-year mining ban in the National Forest System land surrounding the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. What is your position on mining projects in this region and what policies, if any, would you support to protect the surrounding watershed?
“My position is that I live in North St Paul. My community doesn’t do mining. The communities in northern MN are there because of mining and logging. The people THERE know what is best for the environment they live in. Personally, I believe if someone owns the property and wants to extract the resources, they have that right. When they are in the process, if they violate their neighbors’ rights to their property, they are not operating in good faith. The people in the community can take care of that, not bureaucrats in St. Paul. Banning anything just creates a clear line to cross and legal loopholes for lawyers to navigate. When we banned mining in America (or at least limited it tremendously), we completely stopped the learning process or trial and error. Which lead to Chilean mining companies having techniques that ‘could’ be safer for the environment.”
KEYWORDS: Get Government OUT
Q3 Contamination from PFAS and other “forever chemicals” in 21 community water systems in Minnesota exceed national regulations, putting residents at risk of negative health impacts. What policies, if any, do you propose to protect Minnesota residents from the potential impacts of PFAS?
“It is very unfortunate that our ground water has been polluted. The parties responsible have been sued and are building water treatment facilities around the state. If we really want to get these ‘forever’ chemicals out of our water, we need to stop buying things that leach them out. Cause and effect…
Again, there is no answer the state legislature can provide, that will ‘solve’ an enviromental problem. It MUST come from the people that truly want to change.”
KEYWORDS: Cause and Effect
Q4 There have been multiple hyperscale data centers proposed throughout the state, including one currently under construction. What policies and regulations, if any, do you support to assess and act on the potential impacts of these data centers?
“Just like the mining question, the communities these data centers are being proposed, should be the arbiter of whether or not they ‘should be’. NOT bureaucrats & politicians in St Paul.”
KEYWORDS: Local Government Only
Q5 In 2025 alone, the National Institute on Health (NIH) awarded over $700 million for research grants and contracts to Minnesota universities, which directly supported over 7,000 jobs and $1.79 billion of economic activity in Minnesota. What policies, if any, do you plan to implement or support regarding funding for continued science research either at the state or federal level?
“$700 million had to be taken from one group of people and given to another. Along with that money, also comes strings and coercive ‘benefits’ to produce __. The government isn’t a jobs program and whatever “economic activity” happens in result of those jobs, is still a net negative on the ratcheting effect of government incentives. I would support policies to incentivize alternative sources of funding.”
KEYWORDS: Not a Jobs Program
Q6 Fatal drug overdoses in Minnesota have significantly declined in recent years, representing a 28% drop from a record peak of 1,392 overdose deaths in 2022. However, compared to White Minnesotans, Indigenous Minnesotans are 7 to 15 times more likely to experience a fatal drug overdose, while Black Minnesotans are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from a drug-related overdose. What policies, if any, do you support to continue the downward trend of overdose deaths for Minnesotans?
“Oof…this has NOTHING to do with “Science”. I won’t waste time on identity politics. We are ALL Minnesotans. The more we divide each other by these demographics, the worse things get.”
KEYWORDS: Stop Identity Politics.