By Dan Bechtold, Editor
Tim Bjorkman has dedicated his career as an advocate and a circuit judge to solving problems in a common sense, non-partisan way.
Bjorkman, a former circuit judge in the First Judicial Circuit, is the Democratic candidate for Congress.
The candidate was in Winner Thursday afternoon to listen to concern of citizens.
As a judge for over 10 years, Bjorkman said he had a front row seat to see a lot of problems facing South Dakotans.
He said he saw a lack of access to health care. He added he saw addiction mushroom over the past 10 years especially the methamphetamine problem.
He sees middle class people and businesses struggling to pay for health care insurance.
Bjorkman said he wants to run for Congress to strengthen the family and give them an economic chance. “I think tax relief ought to go to the middle class and lower income American families,” he said. The former judge explained these are the people who need the help the most.
“I want to stand for affordable health care for every American. In South Dakota, we are leaving out 50,000 people who do not have access to health care,” he said. Bjorkamn is not a proponent of Medicaid expansion as he feels everyone should pay what they can.
As he crosses the state talking to people, Bjorkman says people want Congress to work across the aisle to solve problems. “They are fed up with both parties,” he said.
Bjorkman grew up in Kimball. He graduated from the USD School of Law in 1982 and practiced law in Bridgewater for 23 hears. When there was an opening on the bench, Bjorkman ran for office and was elected.
He stepped down as a judge in June.
The candidate is an opponent of the Republican tax plan