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Josiah Ampian
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Josiah Ampian (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Minnesota House of Representatives to represent District 16B. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Ampian completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Josiah Ampian was born in Willmar, Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2016 to 2022. He earned an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force in 2018. His career experience includes working as a network engineer.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Minnesota House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 16B
Incumbent Dave Baker defeated Josiah Ampian in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 16B on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dave Baker (R) | 76.1 | 16,847 |
 | Josiah Ampian (D)  | 23.8 | 5,271 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 20 | ||
| Total votes: 22,138 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Josiah Ampian advanced from the Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 16B.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Dave Baker advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 16B.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Ampian in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Josiah Ampian completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ampian's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I was born and raised in Willmar, MN. Growing up with 3 siblings, my single mother raised us to help others and do our best. After high school, I struggled to find my place and found the military, serving for six years. Through my experiences, I was taught the value of help the US government(specifically the Minnesota government) gives to its citizens, and what negative effects come from overspending. I support the 2nd amendment right for Americans to bear arms and the backbone of our farmers. I want as small a government as possible to maintain an ethical system that encourages growth, liberty, and kindness among citizens. I believe all citizens should have a voice, and no voice should fall on deaf ears, but that the systems we have should give ownership of problems to the right agencies. I have been a network technician for over 7 years and have been to over 34 states in the US so far, and I believe I have a good grip on where we should be leading ourselves to get these systems working for Americans, as well as our neighbors. I am unafraid to hear things that I disagree with, and want to hear about the issues of those in my district and represent them honestly in our legislature.
- Farmers are the backbone of America, and they don't just feed our cities, but our neighbors in other nations and our local ecosystems as well. Enabling farmers to produce and have a livelihood will always be priority number one to make sure our backbone does not fail.
- The government should work for you, whenever you have an issue you should feel heard and get a proper response. If you do not, it is the governments job to update you on how it is working to get to a better place in that area, and it should give clear discussion and pathways available as legislature goes down that path.
- Small businesses are the majority in America by number. Large conglomerates and companies should not be able to run amuck just because they have more money. Individuals and corporations who's greed detriments the American dream and steals away wages to the impoverishment of individuals should be put in check by government regulations. Not to cripple them, but to prevent monopolies and to encourage balance between small businesses, individual workers, and large companies.
Anti-Corruption and Transparency, Cyber Issues, Climate Regulations, and Small Businesses.
I have stated previously that I try not to look up to people as I believe we should be learning from the past and building a better future rather than idolizing others. With that respect, I will say that I admired the bravery of individuals faced with physical harm and social outcasting for their decisions to be decent human beings. One example would be southernors who participated in the underground railroad to free slaves.
The most critical aspect of any politician is to separate themselves from their districts policies. The district a politician represents is not their personal plaything, and they should always be keeping touch with their people and making opportunities for people's voices to be heard. Even if a politician does not like what their district says, it is their job to helm discussions and bring forth the issues of their district to be represented.
An openness to hear other sides of a discussion and a firmness in the constitution, ideal of liberty, and ideal of capitalism in America.
I would say the core responsibilities follow into 2 categories, one is of course being a resource coordinator for their district, as a lot of things people need are things that their communities might already be providing, that they just are not aware of. The second would be to bridge gaps in a community that laws miss.
A better one than my predecessors and one that allows those who follow to walk a better road.
I was 4 years old when 9/11 happened, I remember being in pre-school and my sister coming to get me. I did not understand it so much, but I do remember it being on the tv and going home early. It was certainly a scary and confusing time, even for my family being in rural minnesota.
I worked as a Tutor after school. I did that for two years, if I remember correctly. It was enjoyable being able to teach people and help them understand resources/systems and tips/tricks on how to remember and process things and gain new perspectives.
The Rangers Apprentice, I forgot which book in the series it was but the description of the fire as he shoots an arrows, the concentration that it takes to find and accomplish your goals and the single-mindedness resonates with me.
If I could stay in this universe but be them with their powers, Thrall from World of Warcraft. If I had to be in their universe, probably Toph from Avatar The Last Airbender.
Come What May as sung by Ewan McGregor in the movie Moulin Rouge.
Keeping myself occupied.
I believe that each and every member of the state legislature should at least be on a conversational level with the governor. As well, anyone from any party in the state legislature should feel heard and respected by the governor, as well as the same back. The governor serves as a conduit and control point for governing his state just as much as the state legislature does. They do not need to like each other or work together on everything, but they must be able to have disagreements and discussions at a minimum.
Rural/Urban policy and Tax balancing. A lot of our policies are more progressive and welfare heavy than other states, which can be a good thing but ensuring that we are spending our states money in effective ways and not degrading the income of our constituents is a hard balance.
Yes, just like anything else if someone has previous experience it is beneficial simply because they can use that experience. What also can be beneficial, especially in politics, though, is a fresh opinion. I have had experiences where I was too involved in something to see what was happening, and sometimes all it takes it to be humbled and ask another's opinion to learn that there is a different or simpler answer. No one person and their experiences can give them a superior edge when it comes to things like politics, it is truly a group(or government if you will) of individuals that listen and hear from their constituents that makes a government work for its people.
As I have discussed, having discussions, especially with those who disagree with you, are important to understand how to fix issues. Being able to compromise and come to resolutions that satisfy multiple parties and serve its constituents is a key skill for any legislature.
No, although there are good things done by those who have come before me, I find it better to try and make the best with the situation I have in front of me rather than model after someone who made decisions separate from the current situation.
Potentially, I am a servant to the people I represent and if they wish for me to serve in a different capacity I will consider it.
To be quite frank, I have heard stories of others that are similar to mine. They started with something they were doing to solve an issue, obtained a skill and networked, and were able to be a positive contributor to their community after obtaining the means to do so. There is not just one particular story that falls into this, as it is the American dream and is the story that should keep being told. I think it is happening less so in recent years, and I think it should be something that politicians and governments try to promote.
Probably not for everyone, as it is a bit of dark humor, but alas here it is. Why did Susie fall off the swing? Because she had no arms. Knock, Knock. Whose there? Probably not Susie.
In emergency situations, it is critical to have a single source of direction to get back to a normal status. I believe that having a governor handle emergency powers is preferential, but that a legislature needs to have power to reverse those emergency powers should they be abused or no longer needed(if the governor does not relinquish control as they should once they have resolved a situation).
Introduce a penalty fine(with damages given to patients from the penalty) when a medical doctor gives a diagnosis with proof and states that a medicine/treatment is necessary for pain management or for treatment of a disease and an health insurance denies the claim(so long as it is covered in their plan) without reasonable cause(i.e. the case is reviewed by a medical professional of the same level as the doctor who is representing the patient or the insurance requests documents that would prove the diagnosis if the documents first submitted were not reasonably conclusive). As well, medical professionals who audit claims on the insurance side should be able to be sued and put to a review of their medical license if they deny claims that were deemed reasonable by the requesting doctor.
Health Finance and Policy, State and Local Government Finance and Policy, and Taxes.
I think that transparency has been improving maybe a bit too much, especially due to the internet being a connector of knowledge. Transparency should be able to be trusted and the American people should overwhelmingly be given an easy to understand outline of what the government is doing. As well, accountability needs to be improved. There seems to be a distrust brewing in governments within America, and while no one should blindly trust the government, the drawing away from being able to trust and research coherent data that supports decisions is degrading the public and creating divides among Americans.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Minnesota House of Representatives District 16B |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 8, 2024
Current members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Lisa Demuth
Majority Leader:Harry Niska
Minority Leader:Melissa Hortman
Representatives
District 1A
John Burkel (R)
District 1B
Steve Gander (R)
District 2A
Bidal Duran (R)
District 2B
Matt Bliss (R)
District 3A
Roger Skraba (R)
District 3B
District 4A
Heather Keeler (D)
District 4B
Jim Joy (R)
District 5A
Krista Knudsen (R)
District 5B
Mike Wiener (R)
District 6A
Ben Davis (R)
District 6B
Josh Heintzeman (R)
District 7A
Spencer Igo (R)
District 7B
Cal Warwas (R)
District 8A
Pete Johnson (D)
District 8B
Alicia Kozlowski (D)
District 9A
Jeff Backer (R)
District 9B
Tom Murphy (R)
District 10A
Ron Kresha (R)
District 10B
Isaac Schultz (R)
District 11A
Jeff Dotseth (R)
District 11B
Nathan Nelson (R)
District 12A
Paul Anderson (R)
District 12B
Mary Franson (R)
District 13A
Lisa Demuth (R)
District 13B
Tim O'Driscoll (R)
District 14A
Bernie Perryman (R)
District 14B
Dan Wolgamott (D)
District 15A
Chris Swedzinski (R)
District 15B
Paul Torkelson (R)
District 16A
District 16B
Dave Baker (R)
District 17A
Dawn Gillman (R)
District 17B
Bobbie Harder (R)
District 18A
Erica Schwartz (R)
District 18B
Luke Frederick (D)
District 19A
Keith Allen (R)
District 19B
Tom Sexton (R)
District 20A
Pam Altendorf (R)
District 20B
Steven Jacob (R)
District 21A
Joe Schomacker (R)
District 21B
Marj Fogelman (R)
District 22A
Bjorn Olson (R)
District 22B
Terry Stier (R)
District 23A
Peggy Bennett (R)
District 23B
Patricia Mueller (R)
District 24A
Duane Quam (R)
District 24B
Tina Liebling (D)
District 25A
Kim Hicks (D)
District 25B
Andrew Smith (D)
District 26A
Aaron Repinski (R)
District 26B
Greg Davids (R)
District 27A
Shane Mekeland (R)
District 27B
Bryan Lawrence (R)
District 28A
James Gordon (R)
District 28B
Max Rymer (R)
District 29A
Joe McDonald (R)
District 29B
Marion Rarick (R)
District 30A
Walter Hudson (R)
District 30B
Paul Novotny (R)
District 31A
Harry Niska (R)
District 31B
Peggy Scott (R)
District 32A
Nolan West (R)
District 32B
Matt Norris (D)
District 33A
Patti Anderson (R)
District 33B
Josiah Hill (D)
District 34A
Danny Nadeau (R)
District 34B
Melissa Hortman (D)
District 35A
Zack Stephenson (D)
District 35B
Kari Rehrauer (D)
District 36A
Elliott Engen (R)
District 36B
Brion Curran (D)
District 37A
Kristin Robbins (R)
District 37B
Kristin Bahner (D)
District 38A
Huldah Hiltsley (D)
District 38B
Samantha Vang (D)
District 39A
Erin Koegel (D)
District 39B
Sandra Feist (D)
District 40A
Kelly Moller (D)
District 40B
David Gottfried (D)
District 41A
Wayne Johnson (R)
District 41B
Tom Dippel (R)
District 42A
Ned Carroll (D)
District 42B
Ginny Klevorn (D)
District 43A
Cedrick Frazier (D)
District 43B
Mike Freiberg (D)
District 44A
Peter Fischer (D)
District 44B
Leon Lillie (D)
District 45A
Andrew Myers (R)
District 45B
Patty Acomb (D)
District 46A
Larry Kraft (D)
District 46B
Cheryl Youakim (D)
District 47A
District 47B
Ethan Cha (D)
District 48A
Jim Nash (R)
District 48B
Lucille Rehm (D)
District 49A
Alex Falconer (D)
District 49B
District 50A
Julie Greene (D)
District 50B
Steve Elkins (D)
District 51A
Michael Howard (D)
District 51B
Nathan Coulter (D)
District 52A
Liz Reyer (D)
District 52B
Bianca Virnig (D)
District 53A
Mary Clardy (D)
District 53B
Rick Hansen (D)
District 54A
Brad Tabke (D)
District 54B
Ben Bakeberg (R)
District 55A
Jessica Hanson (D)
District 55B
Kaela Berg (D)
District 56A
Robert Bierman (D)
District 56B
John Huot (D)
District 57A
Jon Koznick (R)
District 57B
Jeff Witte (R)
District 58A
Kristi Pursell (D)
District 58B
Drew Roach (R)
District 59A
Fue Lee (D)
District 59B
Esther Agbaje (D)
District 60A
Sydney Jordan (D)
District 60B
Mohamud Noor (D)
District 61A
Katie Jones (D)
District 61B
Jamie Long (D)
District 62A
Aisha Gomez (D)
District 62B
Anquam Mahamoud (D)
District 63A
District 63B
Emma Greenman (D)
District 64A
Kaohly Her (D)
District 64B
Dave Pinto (D)
District 65A
Samakab Hussein (D)
District 65B
District 66A
Leigh Finke (D)
District 66B
Athena Hollins (D)
District 67A
Liz Lee (D)
District 67B
Jay Xiong (D)
Republican Party (67)
Democratic Party (67)
