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Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer is campaigning for re-election in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, with Democrat Ian Todd aiming to flip the district for the DFL.

Election 2018

Your need-to-know guide

Which 6th District candidate do you agree with most?

Get a printable version of the guide here

Emmer, a former state representative and conservative talk radio host, has represented the district since 2015. Todd is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

MPR News has researched the candidates' positions on several major issues based on their stated platforms and other public remarks:

President Trump

Gun control

Health care

K-12 education

Higher education

Immigration

Abortion

Jobs and economy

Climate change

Copper-nickel mining

Marijuana

 when he first secured the party nomination in 2016. Ahead of that election, Emmer stressed a need for the GOP to unify behind him. Since then, Emmer has said it's not his job 

 and that Trump's style might be rubbing Minnesotans the wrong way. According to the vote tracking service 

, Emmer has voted in line with the president 89 percent of the time.

 He has spoken out against the president on a number of issues, 

 He supports the Second Amendment and has introduced legislation laying out an appeals process for those 

 of a gun due to misinformation. He says 

 should be the focus when talking about preventing gun violence.

 and an electronic system for registering firearms. He's also in favor of repealing legislation that hinders research on gun violence.

 He says health care models like the Affordable Care Act are "

." He supports more choices for people seeking health care and voted in favor of the latest attempt to replace the ACA.

, single-payer system. Todd says health care is a right and the quality should not be determined by what you do for a living.

 and advocates for more choices for parents when deciding where to send their children to school. He says we should focus on innovative teaching tools so teachers are better equipped to educate students as individuals.

 He supports subsidized, universal child care as well as more federal funding for public schools in Minnesota by way of a "

 He says: "Congress must also work to protect students from the looming student debt crisis." He has advocated for more support for students studying in the STEM disciplines. He also supports a bigger focus on apprenticeships in the technology sector.

 for higher education, saying public and community college could be free for students "if Pell grants were redirected to making college free."

 of people entering the U.S. He says he supports welcoming immigrants and refugees, pointing to a need for workers in open jobs.

 for becoming a U.S. citizen, which would also be available to those who have already entered the country illegally.

 and opposes using federal funding on abortion services.

. He is also in favor of increased focus and funding for birth control and sex education.

 are negatively affecting the job market — he suggests eliminating some of those barriers and 

 He supports unions and says the working class has "

valid demands that we can only reasonably make when we organize

." He opposes corporate tax cuts and supports more funding for 

, saying Minnesota companies are reducing carbon emissions without the federal government interfereing. Environmental groups rank him as one of the 

, saying the key is investing in clean energy and training for people to work clean energy jobs.

 He supports mining in Minnesota, saying the U.S. needs to 

 currently in place for these kinds of projects.

 He opposes mining in northern Minnesota, saying "we must protect our precious Boundary Waters and not waver for corporate interests."

 for medical purposes, but has co-signed a letter 

 in states setting their own rules on marijuana.

 He supports the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes. "We should legalize cannabis, release non-violent drug offenders, and treat drug abuse as a public health concern instead of a criminal offense," 

Politics and Government News

Minnesota Votes

NewsPartners

Sara Porter

Author

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer is campaigning for re-election in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, with Democrat Ian Todd aiming to flip the district for the DFL. Here are the candidates' positions on major issues.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer is campaigning for re-election in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District, with Democrat Ian Todd aiming to flip the district for the DFL. They join political editor Mike Mulcahy for a debate.

Minnesota voter guide: Where the 6th District candidates stand on the issues

Go Deeper.

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