Senate DFL Caucus

ICYMI: Simon Glaser is Bringing his Background of Service to Flip SD24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 17, 2026

“This campaign has been about looking at what’s going on in Rochester, in Dodge County, seeing what’s not working, and trying to figure out, how do we put people first?”

ROCHESTER, MN. – Courier Minnesota spoke with Simon Glaser on his run for Senate District 24 and his determination to achieve a much larger goal — making life more affordable and accessible for the residents of Dodge and Olmsted county.  

With 2,500 doors knocked already this summer with the goal of hitting 17,000 in the lead up to the election, Glaser said the one thing he is hearing from Republicans, Democrats, and Independent voters alike is that the cost of living is too high and something needs to be done to fix it. 

This issue is what got Glaser into politics in the first place.  

As a teacher, he began to recognize how the government was failing his community. When it came to things like affording groceries, healthcare, childcare, and housing, he saw how everyone from farmers, nurses, the average Minnesotan in his district were struggling.  

“This campaign has been about looking at what’s going on in Rochester, in Dodge County, seeing what’s not working, and trying to figure out, how do we put people first? I started realizing that it was time to stop looking around, waiting for somebody to step up, and run for this seat,” Glaser said. 

Glaser has been an educator for over 30 years and currently is an English teacher for Rochester Public Schools. As part of the Rochester Education Association, he became more involved in the political side of teaching, lobbying for pensions, healthcare, and higher pay as a union leader. 

With incumbent Republican Sen. Carla Nelson retiring after nearly 15 years, District 24 is poised to turn blue and Glaser is ready to make it happen.  

Simon Glaser said “Many are considering the seat a tossup at this point, I know we’re working harder. I know we’re talking to more voters. I know we’re going to win this race.”

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