Otter Tail County Republicans back Rasmusson for reelection bid

More than 300 local Republicans packed the Bigwood Event Center in Fergus Falls and backed Sen. Jordan Rasmusson for reelection, giving the first-term senator a public lift at home as the fall race takes shape in Senate District 9.

Rasmusson, a Fergus Falls Republican first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2022 after serving in the House in 2021-2022, said the convention showed the support and trust of local Republicans. He said the group wanted more of the “conservative leadership” that has “gotten results for Greater Minnesota” and has not “backed down from the fight against fraud.”

The endorsement matters beyond Fergus Falls. Senate District 9 stretches across Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Traverse and Wilkin counties, making the Republican convention an early read on whether Rasmusson can hold together a broad rural coalition across west-central Minnesota. His standing inside the party also carries added weight: he serves as assistant Republican caucus leader in the Minnesota Senate.

Rasmusson has built much of his message around cracking down on human services fraud, waste and abuse. On Jan. 22, 2025, he chaired a Senate Human Services hearing on program integrity and fraud prevention that cited $40 million in unrecovered Medicaid overpayments and $30 million in fraudulent Medicaid payments tied to Evergreen Recovery. In February 2026, he and Senate Republicans rolled out a legislative action plan focused on stricter oversight, better technology to verify services and stronger accountability for taxpayer dollars.

Those themes have obvious resonance in Otter Tail County, where many communities depend on reliable emergency response, clinics and long travel routes for care. Otter Tail and Grant counties were chosen as one of the pilot areas for Minnesota’s Sprint Medic program, which can provide up to three rapid response units in the field. State leaders also approved a one-time $24 million Emergency Ambulance Service Aid appropriation, and the 2024 EMS legislation included $30 million in rural EMS aid, with more than $4 million directed to West Central Minnesota.

Health care remains another major issue in the district. The Minnesota Department of Health says it will receive more than $193 million for rural health care initiatives under the Rural Health Transformation Program, underscoring the pressure on local providers and the voters who rely on them.

The convention at the Bigwood had the feel of a hometown political rally, but it also doubled as a test of how firmly Rasmusson’s brand of conservative politics is rooted in the district he represents. With November ahead, his campaign is likely to be judged less on party labels than on whether Fergus Falls-area voters believe he has delivered on fraud, health care, ambulance service and the day-to-day infrastructure that keeps rural counties functioning.