The November ballot is set for House District 38B, which represents Brooklyn Center and parts of Brooklyn Park in the Minnesota Legislature. Republican Robert Marvin is running against DFL incumbent Samantha Vang, a rematch of the 2024 ballot.
Marvin and Vang will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. The candidate who wins this fall will serve a two-year term beginning in January 2027.
For more information on voting, visit hennepincounty.gov/services/elections.
Sun newspapers reached out to candidates to compile this voter’s guide in advance of the Nov. 3 election. Responses from both House District 38B candidates are below.
Samantha Vang
Samantha Vang
Current occupation:
Housing advocate
Education and experience:
Bachelor of Arts in communications studies and political science at Gustavus Adolphus College.
What is one issue you believe should be a higher priority in the Minnesota Legislature, and if elected, what would you do to help enact legislation related to that issue?
As a daughter of refugees, my family knows what it is like to flee from government persecution. I cannot imagine that we would witness the chaos federal agents brought against our community. To restore the safety we all knew before Operation Metro Surge, we need to ensure every agent who violated state and constitutional law must be held accountable. No one is above the law. We need to restore safety in our schools, places of worship, childcare centers from being the target of federal operations. Minnesota benefits when families including immigrants thrives.
Costs are rising across a wide range of essential goods, from groceries and gasoline to housing and home energy. What are your ideas for addressing what some describe as an “affordability crisis” at the state level? Are there any specific goods you would prioritize?
I hear from enough Minnesotans how unaffordable healthcare is. If there is one thing we can address in costs, it is ensuring people can afford the care they need. There is building momentum to look into a universal healthcare for Minnesota as a solution to keeping healthcare affordable. I also believe we need to pay people better. Young people and adults are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. We can do that by supporting livable wages, labor friendly policies, and continuing education.
The use of Flock cameras and other surveillance tools has become a hot-button issue for many local governments. What policies, if any, do you believe should be enacted at the state level regarding these technologies? More broadly, how do you view the relationship between public safety and individual privacy?
I recognize that more city departments are interested in using Flock cameras to deter and prevent crime and help with investigations. As with any modern society that continues to advance with technology, our laws and policies must keep up the pace to ensure proper use and prevent misuse of people’s data and privacy. I would support enacting policies that requires transparency in how cities use Flock cameras, regulate to prevent misuse of people’s data, and allow people to understand how their data is being used. There must be clear protocols on how people’s data are collected and only serve to protect public safety, not target a certain group of people or individual.
What is the best way for voters to contact you?
Robert Marvin
Robert Marvin
Current occupation:
Electrical engineer
Education and experience:
B.S. electrical engineering, licensed profesional engineer.
What is one issue you believe should be a higher priority in the Minnesota Legislature, and if elected, what would you do to help enact legislation related to that issue?
Fraud is something that needs to be a bigger issue with the legislature going forward. We have to get that under control.
Costs are rising across a wide range of essential goods, from groceries and gasoline to housing and home energy. What are your ideas for addressing what some describe as an “affordability crisis” at the state level? Are there any specific goods you would prioritize?
We need to quit taxing and regulating our businesses to death in Minnesota and being more competitive. We also need to work on building up our people ability to get great jobs and make more money for their families.
The use of Flock cameras and other surveillance tools has become a hot-button issue for many local governments. What policies, if any, do you believe should be enacted at the state level regarding these technologies? More broadly, how do you view the relationship between public safety and individual privacy?
Cameras including plate readers as well as devices that track vehicles for tolls etc. have been around for a very long time, and like everything, can be abused. Your cell phones listen to what you say and use that information to help advertisers try to sell you stuff. Your computer also watches you and feeds data to people who sell and use that. Shoppers are tracked and watched in stores as well. This is a thing we have to watch.
What is the best way for voters to contact you?
I prefer getting phone calls. My cell is 612-432-9114.