Minnesota Third Party Candidates Aim to Shift Focus to Community

Independent candidates running for local offices in Olmsted County hope to bring a new perspective to Rochester politics.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 3:49am

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Voters in Olmsted County, Minnesota had the opportunity to meet lesser-known independent candidates running for local offices in the upcoming 2026 election. The candidates, including Benjamin Zastrow running for mayor of Rochester, John Reeves running for state auditor, and Michael Hutchinson running for state house, shared their visions to shift the focus away from partisan politics and towards supporting small businesses, engaging the community, and addressing issues like affordable housing.

Why it matters

The introduction of these independent candidates represents a growing desire among some voters to move beyond traditional two-party politics and find solutions that better address the needs of local communities. Their campaigns could signal a shift in how some Minnesotans approach elections and the role of government.

The details

The candidates outlined policy platforms focused on practical, community-oriented priorities. Zastrow emphasized supporting small businesses, increasing community engagement, and addressing housing affordability. Reeves proposed leveraging data analytics to improve fraud prevention as state auditor. Hutchinson argued rural Minnesota needs an independent voice to tackle unique local issues.

  • The candidate introductions took place on Tuesday, March 11, 2026.

The players

Benjamin Zastrow

An independent candidate running for mayor of Rochester, Minnesota. He is focused on supporting small businesses, increasing community engagement, and addressing housing affordability.

John Reeves

An independent candidate running for Minnesota State Auditor. He plans to leverage data analytics to improve fraud prevention and oversight of government finances.

Michael Hutchinson

An independent candidate running for the Minnesota State House in District 20B. He believes rural Minnesota needs an independent voice to address unique local issues.

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What they’re saying

“There's a lot of fantastic things happening here in Rochester, Minnesota, but I really believe that we need to focus back on the community and on the people.”

— Benjamin Zastrow, Mayoral Candidate

“I want to leverage an input system to our data analytics, for our revenue services, and our expenditure services and leverage that into an IT system, where we can track trends, and create data dashboards.”

— John Reeves, State Auditor Candidate

“Rural Minnesota needs an independent voice, we need people who are there looking at the unique situations.”

— Michael Hutchinson, State House Candidate

What’s next

Voters in Olmsted County will have the opportunity to cast their ballots for these independent candidates in the 2026 election.

The takeaway

The introduction of these independent candidates in Olmsted County reflects a growing desire among some voters to move beyond traditional two-party politics and find solutions that better address the unique needs of local communities. Their campaigns could signal a shift in how some Minnesotans approach elections and the role of government.