FAQs
5
Where is Chris Ford from and where does he live now?
1
I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas but have called Minnesota home for the past three decades. After I retired as a firefighter from Rochester, I moved to Blaine. I am grateful to be a Minnesotan, and especially grateful to be a part of this community.
What’s Chris Ford’s educational and professional background?
2
I went to school at the University of Arkansas where I got my Bachelor’s degree. I spent most of my professional career as a firefighter for 21 years, serving as a union president for 13 years and as a captain for 10. After I retired from firefighting, I became a paraprofessional educator at Blaine High School. Since 2024, I’ve been on the Blaine City Council representing Ward 1. I also am pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Minnesota.
What are the main legislative priorities for Chris Ford in the State Senate?
3
My top three priorities are making life more affordable, public safety, and investment in education. Bringing down costs for everyone in my community and ensuring that our taxpayer dollars are being well spent is incredibly important. Additionally, public safety is a huge priority of mine, because I’ve seen firsthand the crisis facing fire, EMS, and police departments in terms of recruiting and retaining people. Finally, another priority of mine is investing in education and ensuring that our school funding is stable, equitable, and keeps pace with actual costs of educating kids.
What steps will Chris Ford take to stop fraud and strengthen oversight in state programs?
What is Chris Ford’s plan to lower costs for Minnesota families?
4
To lower costs, I will cap late fees for utility bills, pass the manufactured housing bill of rights, and explore effective ways to lower childcare costs. Additionally, we need to make healthcare and prescription drugs more affordable. This means making sure insurance plans actually cover the care you need, regulating private equity, and passing funding for all hospitals to make sure that they can serve patients exceptionally.
I’m grateful for the work the legislature has done to crack down on fraud, but we can always do more. We need to ban any politician convicted of fraud in Minnesota from running for office. Anyone convicted of fraud must be prohibited from receiving state money ever again. At the legislature, I’ll push for tougher penalties for fraud and fight for protections for whistleblowers who expose it.