Another Choice

Across Southern Minnesota, people are working harder than ever just to stay afloat. Building a stable future is getting tougher. Small businesses are shutting their doors, families are priced out of homeownership, and institutions like our schools and hospitals are stretched thin. These problems aren’t new to us, but they keep getting worse year after year. Billions of taxpayer dollars are wasted on broken programs, and could be better spent to help revive the American economy.

We have faced these challenges for years as politicians in Washington, who are supposed to represent their constituents, instead serve the agendas of their party and the large donor class. Many people feel that there is a need for a major shift in Congress.

Our country is heading into a time of major change. Rapid advances in technology, automation, and infrastructure demand representatives who think ahead, not just react after the damage is done.

I’m Oliver Morlan, a working-class Minnesotan, not a career politician. I grew up in Zumbro Falls, went to school in Rochester, and help run my family’s small business. I’ve seen the challenges we face and the lack of change needed to fix it. That’s why I’m running as an independent, to fight for common-sense solutions, and real accountability. It’s time to put people over politics and bring integrity back to public service.

Issues

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small Business Focused Economy

Across Southern Minnesota and beyond, small businesses are more than storefronts. They’re family traditions, community anchors, and key drivers of our economy. Nationally, they make up nearly 44% of all economic activity and are responsible for creating two out of every three new jobs. But while their role has never been more vital, the system hasn’t been built to support them.

Too often, local businesses are forced to compete on uneven ground. The tax code rewards corporate giants, red tape slows down the smallest operators, and banks shy away from lending to those just getting started. Meanwhile, multinationals use their political connections to tilt the playing field even further in their favor. It’s no wonder that many of the small businesses that once defined our towns are closing their doors.

It doesn’t have to be this way. By cutting taxes for local employers, simplifying outdated regulations, and expanding access to affordable capital, especially in rural areas, we can give small businesses the tools they need to grow. We’ll back first-time entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship, and fair access to opportunity. A thriving economy starts from the bottom up, not the top down and it’s time our policies reflected that.

Tackling the Housing Crisis

America is in the midst of a housing crisis that continues to deepen year after year. In Southern Minnesota and across the country, the cost of housing is outpacing wages, leaving working families, young professionals, and seniors without stable options. Home ownership has become increasingly out of reach, not because people aren’t working hard, but because the system is tilted in favor of corporate investors and institutional landlords who treat homes as financial assets instead of places to live.

This isn’t a problem isolated to cities or one demographic. It affects rural communities, growing towns, and suburban neighborhoods. Families are being priced out. First-time buyers are locked out. And local economies are strained when teachers, nurses, and service workers can’t afford to live near where they work.

This crisis demands a serious, coordinated response. We need federal policies that encourage responsible development of affordable housing without over regulating small builders and local developers. We must address investor speculation in the housing market by closing loopholes that allow large firms to crowd out individual buyers. And we should expand support for community-based lending, down payment assistance, and affordable rental options — particularly in areas where the housing shortage is most acute.

Fair Tax Reform

Our current tax system often feels unfair to many working families who carry a heavy load, while some individuals and corporations benefit from complex rules and loopholes. This imbalance can make it harder for everyday people to build financial security despite their hard work.

Fair tax reform means creating a simpler, more transparent system that eases the burden on middle and lower-income households. It ensures that everyone contributes their fair share, helping to level the playing field without placing undue strain on families.

Taxpayers deserve to see their money spent wisely. Reducing waste and cutting unnecessary government programs can free up resources for important services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

By focusing on practical and balanced tax reform, we can support a stronger economy that benefits all Americans and restores confidence in a system designed to serve the common good.

Holding Government Accountable

Too often, government feels distant and out of touch with the people it’s supposed to serve. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the federal government wastes an estimated $140 billion every year on improper payments, fraud, and inefficient programs. That’s money that should be helping families, building infrastructure, or supporting essential services.

This waste is not just frustrating, it’s a betrayal of the public’s trust. Taxpayer dollars too often vanish into bloated bureaucracies or corporate handouts while real problems go unsolved.

Accountability means transparency at every level. It means leaders who answer to their communities, not to special interests or lobbyists. It means independent oversight with the power to investigate and expose corruption or mismanagement without fear or favor. It means ending the revolving door between government agencies and big corporations, which erodes trust and deepens inequality.

Bracing For the Future

Our country’s infrastructure is aging fast. Over 43,000 bridges across the U.S. are structurally deficient. Entire communities, especially rural ones, lack reliable broadband. Our electrical grids, transit systems, and public facilities weren’t built for today, let alone tomorrow.

This isn’t just about potholes and pipes it’s about national readiness. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives our infrastructure a C-, and that grade isn’t getting any better without real action.

Meanwhile, we’re standing at the edge of a massive technological shift. AI and automation could reshape or replace up to 30% of American jobs by 2035. The rise of robotics, machine learning, and remote platforms is already changing how we work, learn, and connect.

We can’t afford to ignore what’s coming. Instead, we should lean into it, on our terms.

Putting America First in
Foreign Policy

Our country can’t keep playing world police while our own communities are falling apart. For too long, Washington has spent trillions overseas fueling conflicts, funding corrupt regimes, and sending young Americans to fight wars with no clear mission or end.

It’s time for a new direction.

America’s strength abroad should come from stability at home. That means ending the blank checks to foreign governments and focusing on rebuilding what’s broken here: infrastructure, healthcare, housing, and national security that actually protects our borders, not someone else’s.

This campaign supports a foreign policy of restraint, diplomacy, and strategic independence. We’ll stand strong when our nation is truly threatened but we won’t be dragged into every international conflict that lobbyists or global interests push on Congress.

Chronic Illness & Healthcare

Millions of Americans wake up every day facing the invisible battles of chronic illness. These conditions drain energy, disrupt families, and challenge even the strongest among us. These diseases don’t just affect health; they touch every part of life from the ability to work and care for loved ones, to simply enjoying a quiet moment. Yet, too often, the system designed to help feels overwhelming, confusing, and expensive.

Nearly six in ten adults face chronic conditions. They spend countless hours in hospitals and clinics. Families struggle with high medical bills and fragmented care that misses the full picture. It’s heartbreaking to watch loved ones navigate a system that should support them but often falls short.

True reform must go beyond statistics. Care needs to be coordinated and compassionate, reaching people where they are. Early detection and prevention can reduce suffering and save money. Prescription costs should be affordable so no one must choose between medicine and basic needs. Protecting patients from surprise bills is essential. Mental health services must be part of the solution because chronic illness affects both body and mind.

Back to basics education

Minnesota’s education system is facing significant challenges. Test scores have declined in recent years, and many students are graduating without mastering essential skills in reading, math, and critical thinking. Meanwhile, mismanagement and bureaucratic hurdles have left teachers stretched thin and parents frustrated.

Education is the foundation for opportunity and success. It’s time to return to proven, common-sense principles that prioritize student learning and equip our children for the future.

This means focusing on literacy and numeracy in the early grades, supporting teacher training and classroom resources, and reducing unnecessary administrative burdens. Schools should be accountable for results, while also allowing educators and parents a stronger voice in decision-making.

By emphasizing fundamentals and practical skills, we can prepare Minnesota’s youth to compete in tomorrow’s economy and build a brighter future for all.

Protecting our land, lakes, and rivers

Minnesota is more than just a place, it’s home. Our families fish in its lakes, hunt in its woods, and build their lives around its beauty. But today, that home is under threat. Over half of our lakes and rivers are polluted, and illnesses like chronic wasting disease are tearing through our deer herds, putting a piece of our heritage at risk.

This isn’t just about the environment, it’s about preserving the way of life Minnesotans cherish. Clean water, healthy forests, and thriving wildlife aren’t luxuries they’re essentials for our children and grandchildren to enjoy the same freedoms we have.

We need common-sense solutions: stronger protections for our waters, funding for cleanup efforts, and real action to fight diseases threatening our wildlife. It’s time to stand up for the land that gave us so much and ensure it stays healthy for generations to come.

Because Minnesota without its lakes and forests isn’t Minnesota at all.