Our state is moving in the wrong direction, but it’s not too late to turn it around. I can no longer sit on the sidelines, it’s time to do something. It’s time to offer voters an alternative to policy-making that doesn't consider the working middle class. 

I was born in Minneapolis in 1963 and raised in the Twin Cities by my parents, Lloyd and Sally Hilborn. Lloyd retired as a UAW worker on the assembly line at the Saint Paul Ford plant, and Sally worked at Control Data soldering circuit boards. My parents instilled in me a deep work ethic and taught me to work hard, play fair, do the right thing, and expect the best in life—values I now pass on to my own family. Starting in third grade, my dad taught me how to sell candy door-to-door for the summer Athletic Club fundraising campaign, taking me out to sell as soon as he got home from work until dark. I sold a lot of candy. My brother Mark and I had a paper route. Up at 5:00 AM each morning so that the newspapers were delivered by 6:00 AM. I was a Boy Scout, and my parents ensured that I achieved Eagle Scout by age 13. I graduated from high school in 1981.  Growing up my family attended Wooddale and now I attend River Valley church.

I graduated from Bethel University in 1985. To pay for college, I worked nights at UPS and was promoted to full-time management in 1985. I raised my three sons in a house in Saint Paul. Today, they are 35, 33, and 31. My oldest is married with two children, living in Northeast Minneapolis as a filmmaker. My middle son will soon be married after four years in the US Army as an infantry soldier and now lives in Rapid City, South Dakota. My youngest son is married and lives in Sacramento, California, working as a software engineer.

In 1995, I started a small business out of my garage in Saint Paul that grew so that I had to leave UPS in 2000. My company has been in Saint Paul for 29 years and has grown to 48 employees. We power wash in the spring, summer, and fall, and plow snow during the winter. As a second-chance employer, we hire men and women who have been incarcerated or are in recovery. Our employees start at $25 an hour, with health and dental insurance, 401K, and paid time off (PTO). My business and my home are in District 65B.

I serve on the Board of Directors for AccessAbility, Inc., which helps people with disabilities and other challenges find meaningful employment. I regularly speak to men and women at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, which assists individuals in overcoming chemical addictions and other life-controlling problems. Additionally, I am involved with Volunteers of America (VOA), an organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential.

Republican Endorsed