Larry Pogemiller knows MinnesotaâÄôs Senate District 59 well: He was born and grew up in the district and has served the area in the Minnesota Senate since 1982. He knows the people of the district and their needs.

District 59 includes many University of Minnesota students, encompassing the UniversityâÄôs East and West banks, the Como, Marcy-Holmes, Seward, Cedar-Riverside, Dinkytown and Prospect Park neighborhoods, as well as more neighborhoods to the north.

Pogemiller has spent his time in the Minnesota Senate fighting for issues like education and housing while instituting tax reforms that benefit married couples, the middle class and active-duty soldiers.

His experience has been key in his role as the Senate majority leader, a position from which he can wield significant power on behalf of his constituents.

By contrast, his opponent Barry Hickethier has no political experience. Hickethier has promised to freeze tuition at Minnesota public universities, but his proposal exposes his lack of understanding of the broader systems at play. A tuition freeze may hold down tuition in the short term, but not pairing it with increased state funding will hamstring University operations. His plan to significantly reduce state spending will force either increased tuition or a decreased quality in the medium and long term. Meanwhile, his regressive tax proposals will shift the tax burden onto low-income citizens like students.

Pogemiller is sometimes criticized for being a harsh or even a caustic negotiator, but District 59 residents should want a tough, uncompromising advocate for their interests in the stateâÄôs Senate. They should re-elect Larry Pogemiller.