By: Kayla Williams / Asst. News Director

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Republican Sue Ek and DFL candidate Zach Dorholt discussed fraud, education, public safety and health care during a House District 14B debate Tuesday night.

The debate was hosted by KVSC and St. Cloud LIVE and took place in the KVSC studio in the basement of Atwood Memorial Center.

The debate began on September 1 at 6:30 p.m., with candidates answering questions submitted by voters before asking each other questions near the end.

The candidates often agreed on the problems facing Minnesota but disagreed on how the state should respond.

Candidate to Candidate Questions

Near the end of the debate, Ek and Dorholt asked each other questions.

Ek asked Dorholt about a 2025 letter he signed supporting transgender inclusion in sports and how he would protect women and girls in athletics.

Dorholt said the issue is personal because he is the father of three girls and coached girls soccer for five years. He said he signed the letter because he supports Minnesota’s non-discrimination laws.

“Every time we bring up this issue, it is purposefully divisive,” Dorholt said.

He said the debate on the topic can distract from other issues voters are worried about, including the cost of living, property taxes and wages.

Dorholt added that decisions about fairness in sports should involve the Minnesota State High School League, coaches, teachers and students.

Ek followed up by asking again how Dorholt would protect women and girls.

He then repeated that he believes the issue should be addressed through conversations with the people involved in high school sports.

Dorholt then asked Ek about federal cuts to Medicaid and how Minnesota would make up for lost funding.

Ek said fraud is one of the main reasons funding is being reduced. 

She said Medicaid is important for people with disabilities and people working lower-paying jobs, but said the state also needs stronger requirements and oversight.

Dorholt disagreed, saying Medicaid cuts could hurt hospitals and people with serious mental illness. He also argued that work requirements could create more paperwork and costs.

The disagreement over Medicaid led into another major topic, which is fraud.

Fraud

Fraud became one of the biggest points of agreement during the debate. 

Both candidates said fraud needs to be addressed, but each brought a different perspective to the issue.

It leaves lawmakers with a difficult question about how to stop fraud without making it harder for honest people to get the help they need.

Ek said fraud is one of the main concerns she hears from voters. 

“$9 billion in fraud is crazy,” Ek said, adding that even $1 of fraud is too much.

She called for stronger safeguards, inspections and oversight of public programs.

“We need to protect tax payer monies because it doesn’t make sense that legitimate programs are suffering because of fraud,” Said Ek.

Dorholt also said fraud is unacceptable. He pointed to the state’s Office of Inspector General, which he said was created through bipartisan legislation.

Dorholt said the office needs proper funding and investigative authority to effectively address fraud.

He also discussed his previous work with chemical dependency programs, saying he had seen fraud and reported his concerns.

“I was part of a group that had to kind of blow the whistle on some chemical dependency programs that were engaged in fraud,” Dorholt said. “It was beyond upsetting”

Both candidates agreed fraud hurts taxpayers and legitimate programs. Ek emphasized preventing fraud through stronger oversight, while Dorholt focused on giving investigators the resources and authority they need to investigate it.

Education

Education was the next major topic, specifically school funding, curriculum and housing.

Dorholt said Minnesota needs to make sure schools have enough money to serve students.

Dorholt said, “The state needs to set up and fund these mandates”

He said special education and English language services are example areas where schools can face additional costs.

He also talked about housing instability among students. District 742 estimates that hundreds of families could experience housing instability this school year.

Dorholt said schools should work with communities to help families find stable housing because students cannot focus on school if they do not know where they will sleep.

Meanwhile, Ek focused more on school choice and what students are learning in classrooms.

She said parents should have more choices in their children’s education and emphasized basic skills and curriculum.

Ek said voters she has spoken with are divided between concerns about curriculum and school choice.

“It’s about 50/50,” She said “They’re concerned about curriculum but its a spinoff because if they don’t have school choice, they cant really control the curriculum”

They also discussed a federal education tax credit program and housing. Ek said it could give families more options, while Dorholt focused on maintaining strong public schools.

“School is actually the best place they have to go throughout the day, throughout their lives,” Dorholt said

Public Safety

Public safety led to a discussion about immigration, law enforcement, surveillance cameras and mental health.

Dorholt criticized recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minnesota. He said some of the federal response created fear and trauma in communities.

“I fully support legal immigration and following those laws,” Dorholt said. He also called for more consistency across Minnesota’s criminal justice system, saying.

“We have 87 counties, Minnesota has 87 different ways of doing things” Dorholt added “We need to make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to things like sentencing.”

Ek said state and local law enforcement should work with federal agencies to protect the public. She also acknowledged that some things during the ICE situation should not have happened.

“Public saftey is a priority for me, supporting law enforcment is a priority for me,” Ek said “Local law enforcement’s need to work hand in hand with the federal system”

The candidates were also asked about Flock cameras, which can be used by law enforcement to track vehicles. Ek said the cameras could be useful, especially in areas with higher crime, but said Minnesota needs rules to prevent misuse.

“They serve a purpose, but they need a framework, and they need to be community-based in efforts,” Ek said.

Dorholt brought up concerns about privacy and surveillance. He questioned who has access to the information collected by the cameras and whether private companies could sell the data.

Dorholt said “we need to make sure that if we’re going to use tools such as license plate readers or flock cameras that they arent used for survelliance” He said “Surveillance is, by far an invasion of privacy,”

Both candidates agreed that public safety should be the main purpose of the technology.

Mental health was also brought up in the public safety discussion.

Ek said Minnesota needs more mental health resources and hospitals and argued that helping people earlier could minimize crime.

Dorholt pointed to St. Cloud programs that pair mental health professionals with law enforcement. He said these programs can give officers another option when responding to someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

To watch the video of the debate visit https://utvs.cablecast.tv.

Debate Wrap-up

The debate was held at St. Cloud State University and broadcast on KVSC, with UTVS providing a livestream. KVSC estimated 200 to 225 radio listeners, while 260 people watched the UTVS livestream.

The debate ended with both candidates highlighting their priorities for the district. 

Ek focused on reducing taxes, addressing fraud and supporting public safety, while Dorholt emphasized health care, education and community-based solutions.

The House District 14B seat is open in the 2026 election. Voters will choose between Ek and Dorholt on Tuesday, November 3.