As the temperature is beginning to rise over the frozen ground of western Minnesota, so too is the political heat on the region’s representative in Congress, Republican Rep. Michelle Fischbach.
Many residents in the 7th Congressional District have been active in expressing concerns about their representation, or a perceived lack of it, by Fischbach — as well as their disillusionment over Trump administration policies.
Following the lead of fellow Republicans in Congress who have faced angry crowds in their home districts, Fischbach has declined to host town hall meetings. When some of her constituents pushed back with sign rallies and meetings of their own, Fischbach, in a radio interview, called such activities “garbage” likely fueled by activists from outside the district. That rhetoric further inflamed relations.
In recent weeks, there have been several sign protests outside Fischbach’s offices in Willmar and Moorhead and at least one impromptu community meeting in Willmar.
About 100 people rallied outside her Willmar office on Feb. 19. A second sign rally on March 4 drew about 300 people. The large increase in numbers followed a public meeting held the previous evening at the Willmar Community Center.
That doesn’t mean Fischbach — who announced her campaign for reelection Monday — is ignoring all of her constituents. Last week, she and her staff met in Washington for several hours with a delegation from the Minnesota Farm Bureau.
Another delegation had a different experience. Representatives from the Willmar Municipal Utilities Commission told the West Central Tribune the venue for their meeting with Fischbach was “unacceptable.” The meeting “was in front of the elevator in the office building, which was a very poor place to meet — in the hallway,” commissioner Bruce DeBlieck told the newspaper.
On March 8, Fischbach was invited to call into the weekly Legislative Review program on KWLM radio in Willmar. She chatted for nearly 10 minutes with two state lawmakers from the area: Rep. Scott Van Binsbergen of Montevideo and Sen. Andy Lang of Olivia, both Republicans. “We’re all serving the same constituents,” she said.
In a prepared statement to MinnPost, she said: “I enjoy hearing from and meeting with as many constituents as I can across the 38 counties of the Seventh District.” She has plans for several meetings with constituents in the district, including “mobile office hours” on March 25 in Pipestone and April 3 in Park Rapids, her office said.
Town hall meetings without Fischbach
Earlier this month, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged Republican lawmakers to avoid town hall meetings that were turning into protests over Trump administration cuts to the federal government, saying they were the work of professional protesters.
That position prompted Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, to announce that he would hold a series of his own town hall meetings in competitive congressional districts, which he kicked off on Friday in Des Moines.
Similarly, since Fischbach isn’t holding any town hall meetings, one of her constituents organized one.
Nearly 100 people responded to the call of one man to gather at the Willmar Community Center on March 3 to voice their thoughts, fears and ideas about the current political events in Washington.
Errol Bluhm of Willmar paid $180 for the room reservation and $480 for newspaper ads announcing the event. Describing his political views as “conservative independent,” Bluhm, who is retired after working for Kandiyohi County Family Services, said he acted on his own and from his passion about current politics.
“I was trying to think of something to get people together,” Bluhm said. “I’m not a glory seeker, not a leader. I just want to inspire people. I was absolutely surprised when a hundred people showed up.”
He opened the meeting, introduced his thoughts and then left before the meeting ended nearly two hours later. With no formal program or agenda to guide them, about a dozen people from the audience in turn stepped up to the microphone.
Bluhm said he was trying to bring people together from the community and from different political viewpoints to unite in opposition to what is happening under the Trump administration. In the 2024 presidential election, Bluhm said he voted for Chris Christie. He said that he left some down-ballot choices empty but was unclear about which ones.
He mentioned the contrast with the World War II-era, when the country fought an external foe: “Now we are fighting an internal foe.” He said he was inspired to act by several sayings, such as “united we stand, divided we fall” and “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Caption: At his home March 10, Errol Bluhm reads from material he shared at the March 3 community meeting that he organized.
Rita Buntje of Spicer stepped up to the microphone and described existing efforts such as the 50501 Movement and Indivisible protest movements. “We are people who are concerned about what is happening in Washington, D.C. We’re hoping to keep like-minded people together.”
In 2017, Buntje helped set up the Facebook page for Indivisible Kandiyohi County. After the March 3 community meeting, its membership more than doubled to 686 and averages several posts per day. “It makes people feel better that they’re doing something,” she said.
Kathy Jorgenson, who ran for state office last fall in state House District 16A — which covers Renville County and parts of others — said that as a former employee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she understands the potential impact of Trump’s actions affecting farmers and federal employees.
“A majority of farmers voted for Trump because of the ‘tough guy’ image,” she said. Farmers will be hurt by tariffs and face labor shortages because so many farm workers are immigrants, mostly Latino, but a growing number of East Africans work in processing plants, she added.
The DFL Party, responding to Fischbach’s campaign announcement Monday, issued a statement accusing her of hiding from her constituents.
“If she wants another term in Congress, Rep. Fischbach should stop attacking the people she represents and the programs that working families in her district rely on,” the statement said.
Postcard protest
The meeting and social media also alerted concerned citizens to a postcard-writing campaign. The Willmar Unitarian Church opened its doors to anyone wishing to send postcards to elected officials, from President Trump on down. The church provided space, materials and postage.
Left: A sign outside the Willmar Unitarian Church. Right: Marilee Dorn, a member of the Willmar Unitarian Church, cut paper for postcards.
In a story about the campaign in the West Central Tribune, Spicer resident Laura Arne said her goal was to fill out 300 cards. She said she was a long-time Republican but is now worried that the nation’s democracy was being transformed into an oligarchy.
“They are not responding to us,” she told the paper. She said she was concerned that the administration is not listening to those with differing views. “We believe we have good ideas, too,” she said.
Forrest Peterson is a Greater Minnesota-based freelance writer.
Photo: About 100 people attended a community meeting March 3 at the Willmar Community Center. Credit: Forrest Peterson for MinnPost.
This article first appeared on MinnPost and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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