On Oct. 29, a neighbor wrote in calling into question Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn’s and integrity due to a campaign mailer with the following:
“Republicans in St. Paul and Washington would
• Defund public schools and ban books
• Ban abortion and restrict IVF and birth control access
• Undermine our democracy and our right to vote”
Let the facts speak for themselves. Republicans are actively now trying to do these very things, making it difficult to take this neighbor at his word.
Rep. Kotyza-Witthuhn voted for the largest public school funding increase in state history, and brought voluntary pre-kindergarten funding to Eden Prairie. Meanwhile, Project 2025 – and Donald Trump himself – has called for the closing of the Federal Department of Education, and both a local school board candidate and MN GOP state delegate wants to “safeguard against invasive content.“
Rep. Kotyza-Witthuhn authored the Protect Reproductive Options Act, which codified our right to reproductive freedom in state law. Prior to the passage of the PRO Act, Minnesota did not have enforced gestational limits (i.e. third-trimester abortions were already legal). The PRO Act simply protects this right beyond a decision of judges –because what happened to Roe at the U.S. Supreme Court could have happened in Minnesota, too. Rep. Kotyza-Witthuhn, DFL legislators, and the Walz-Flanagan administration made sure that doesn’t happen. Meanwhile, Minnesota Republicans have attempted to ban abortion more than 32 times in the last 20 years.
Rep. Kotyza-Witthuhn and legislative Democrats restored voting rights to Minnesotans on probation or parole allowing them to fully reintegrate in their communities, expanded voter registration and ballot access for eligible voters, and increased election protections for voters, election workers, and our voting systems. Meanwhile, a Republican woman in Itasca County attempted to vote for her dead mother, so she could support Donald Trump from the afterlife and MAGA Republicans continue to sow doubt in our elections process.
In other words, Rep. Kotyza-Witthuhn is a knowledgeable, experienced, and caring public servant who is deeply committed to our community for the long-haul. Those attempting to undermine her character should get to know the real her. She has my vote!
Andy Johnson, Eden Prairie