ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

When Andrea Van Gelder decided to make a run for Owatonna School Board, she didn’t have to look very far for help with her campaign. She turned to her 15-year-old son, Carson, who quickly became her campaign manager.

“He just kind of jumped right in,” said Andrea. “The first conversation we had was on a car ride going to soccer. He started making a sign on his computer in the car. We spent two hours in the car, and we got a lot accomplished in those two hours.”

Carson said he has always been interested in elections—well, almost. His mom confirms he made his first big splash in politics as a fifth grader during the 2016 presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Carson is often glued to the TV soaking up election information and listening to correspondents analyze data and interview politicians.

“We joke that he is our personal Chuck Todd (NBC News political analyst) analyzing the data,” Andrea said.

The teenager recalled how he enjoyed learning about government in elementary school. He also took a liking to a civics class offered in ninth grade. “I want to figure it out myself how the political system works,” Carson said, adding he has been getting a better understanding of elections over the past several presidential races.

Carson wasn’t about to let his knowledge go unused.

“When mom decided to run for school board, I thought it would be fun to use the skills I picked up from watching,” said Carson, who is a sophomore at Owatonna High School.

They got the ball rolling with Andrea’s campaign by putting out an initial announcement on Facebook featuring a photograph of Carson and his two siblings, Brendan and Erin, holding campaign signs. People reached out to them seeking yard signs to help spread the word of Andrea’s bid for school board. Carson had ordered 100 yard signs online.

“I’m not sure how many other 15-year-olds are researching campaign signs,” Andrea said. “It has been fun to have the conversations together,” she added.

Their next strategy was to design a brochure along with newspaper ads. When Andrea came into the Steele County Times office to meet with a marketing specialist, Carson was at her side offering suggestions on how the ads were to look.

They also worked together preparing for two school board forums with other candidates as well as a meet and greet open house. “He asked me questions when we were riding around town to prepare me for the forum,” Andrea said. “We were very conscious of the language used. He didn’t want the word ‘issue’ used without the concept of the full question.”

And, unlike the national campaigns, they agreed on one big thing—no negativity in the campaign. “We want to be a positive voice,” Andrea says. “We want to make sure they know what we want and that we are working for everyone. We got into this with a positive attitude.”

Being positive doesn’t come hard for the Van Gelders. Andrea is worship music and arts coordinator at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna. Carson is involved with youth group, and he is a media tech at church running sound and livestream during worship services every Sunday. Andrea’s husband, Dr. Timothy Van Gelder, is a family physician with Mayo Clinic in Owatonna.

In her professional career at the church, Andrea is mostly “coordinating things for everyone else.” Running for school board has pushed her outside her comfort zone. “To put myself out there was a new step for me,” she said. “It has helped me trust my own thoughts.”

Andrea has been thinking about running for office for the past two years. She has been an active volunteer within the schools often observing teachers doing what she considers incredible work in the classrooms. She has also attended school board meetings. “I’ve learned more than just my little window at Wilson Elementary (where her kids have attended),” she said. “I’ve learned about different challenges each elementary school has,” she added.

The Van Gelders came to Owatonna in 2010 after researching nine potential communities in three states to live in. It didn’t take long for Owatonna to surface as the top choice for them.

“We were impressed with the breadth of people,” Andrea said. “We also liked the diversity of employers from white collar to blue collar. It felt good.”

Andrea added, “This is a town that figures out a need and works to meet the need.”

In addition to being captain of the soccer team and his church duties, Carson is involved with Student Council, SHOC and sings with the OHS Carolers.

“He comes from a family of involved people,” Andrea said of her son. “We like to contribute.”

Andrea is happy that Carson is involved as much as he is with her campaign, especially at a time when teenagers often disconnect with their parents.

“It has been something so enjoyable to work on together,” Andrea said. “He keeps pushing, which is great. And he asks lots of questions. It has really been a family effort.”

This edition of the Times went to press prior to Tuesday night’s election results. Go to www.steelecountytimes.com for updates on the results as well as next week’s print edition.