Meet Ben Wieman
A neighbor, a farmer, and a voice for rural Minnesota in St. Paul.
“The farmers, teachers, nurses, and veterans of District 17B deserve a representative who actually lives these realities — not someone who just campaigns on them.”
— Ben Wieman
Roots Run Deep
Ben Wieman is the fifth generation to work the same land his great-great-grandparents broke ground on in 1886 — a dairy farm west of Arlington in Sibley County. More than 140 years of farming the same fields gives you a particular relationship with the land, with your neighbors, and with the economic realities that politicians in St. Paul and Washington often talk past.
Growing up on a working dairy farm means early mornings, long seasons, and no such thing as a sick day when the cows need tending. It also means understanding what it takes to keep a family operation viable when commodity prices swing, input costs rise, and corporate consolidation squeezes out the independent farmer.
Ben knows Sibley County’s back roads, its churches, its school districts, and its kitchen-table conversations. That isn’t something you can acquire on a campaign trail — it’s a lifetime in the making.
Why I’m Running
Ben didn’t grow up wanting to run for office. He grew up wanting to farm. But watching the economic pressures mount on family operations across District 17B — corporate ag monopolies squeezing out independent farmers, rural hospitals closing, school funding formulas that shortchange rural districts, and prescription costs that force neighbors to choose between medication and groceries — he reached a point where staying on the sideline felt like a choice in itself.
The DFL stands for Democratic-Farmer-Labor. Ben believes those words should mean something. His campaign slogan, “Let’s Put the ‘F’ Back in DFL,” is a call to recommit to the farmers and working families who built this party and this state.
District 17B needs a representative who wakes up every day thinking about what rural Minnesota needs — not party talking points. Ben will be that voice.
Community First
Family Farming
Five generations of stewardship of the same land — a commitment to independent family farms over corporate agribusiness.
Rural Schools
Strong public schools are the cornerstone of healthy rural communities. Every student in 17B deserves a quality education close to home.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
The same spirit that brings farmers out to help each other in a hard season is the spirit District 17B needs in St. Paul.
Honoring Service
Veterans who served our country deserve robust care and support — a commitment Ben takes personally in a community full of those who served.
Join Ben’s Team
You can help change the course of District 17B — endorse Ben, host a meet & greet, or make a contribution to the campaign.
💜 Support Ben’s CampaignSee Ben’s Priorities
From family farms to rural healthcare — here’s what Ben is fighting for in St. Paul.
🌾 View Full Platform →