By Kayla Williams / Asst. News Director

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Candidates for House District 14A, Republican Mike Conway and DFL Abdi Daisane, faced off Thursday night in a debate on Thursday, September 17, ahead of the November 3 general election.

KVSC and St. Cloud LIVE hosted the debate in the KVSC studio.

The debate began at 6:30 p.m., with candidates answering questions formulated by moderators and questions submitted by the public before asking each other questions near the end. 

The candidates were presented with several different issues affecting Minnesotans, including the costs of housing, how to address spending and fraud in government programs, public safety, education, and more.

Housing and Affordability

Housing and the cost of living were major issues for both candidates, with Daisane focusing on increasing affordable housing and Conway focusing on housing availability, taxes, and government spending.

“Housing means a lot to me. It’s more than just a home. It’s stability,” Daisane said.

Daisane discussed increasing Minnesota’s housing supply through multifamily housing and apartments that can hold larger families. He also supported preserving affordable housing and helping first-time homebuyers.

“Personally, I’m still a renter here in St. Cloud, and owning a home still feels out of reach for me,” Daisane said.

Daisane also mentioned groceries, child care, health care, and property taxes as other important costs affecting Minnesota families.

Conway focused on state spending and mandates that he said can increase expenses for local governments and taxpayers.

“There is no money that the state government or the city or the county has to work with, except the money that comes out of your pocket,” Conway said.

Conway also discussed increasing rental availability, changing zoning to allow more housing options, and creating opportunities for seniors who want to move into smaller homes.

He also discussed creating more housing options for seniors and limiting property tax increases to help seniors remain in their homes.

Fraud and Government Accountability

A clear point of disagreement for the candidates was who should be held accountable for fraud in Minnesota.

Conway said a lack of oversight allows fraud to continue and argued that large spending increases in some state programs should have raised concerns earlier. 

Daisane rebutted, saying fraud takes resources away from residents and taxpayers but also argued that responsibility should not be placed entirely on one political party.

“We have not done a good job. Both of the parties, I’ll say, dropped the ball,” Daisane said.

Daisane asked for more staffing and investigative resources for the Office of Inspector General. He also said providers should be screened and payments reviewed before the state distributes money.

The candidates agreed that Minnesota needs to update technology used by state agencies.

Daisane said outdated systems make it harder for the state to track money and identify possible fraud before payments are made.

Conway agreed and said updated technology could allow counties to share and verify information faster while helping eligible residents receive services without unnecessary delays.

Conway also called for organizations handling government funds to be vetted before receiving money.

“I’m heartened to find that Mr. Daisane and I both agree that verification is first before money goes out,” Conway said.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Discussion of what happened at the Star Mall on January 12, 2026, between local law enforcement, ICE agents, and members of the St. Cloud community was a major point of debate for the candidates.

Daisane criticized how federal enforcement activity in St. Cloud was carried out and said city officials were not notified before federal agents arrived.

“What happened was not law enforcement. What happened was intimidating people,” Daisane said.

Daisane said Operation Metro Surge created fear within immigrant communities and said some residents were afraid to leave their homes, take their children to school, or buy groceries.

Conway agreed with Daisane about the connection of federal authorities and the altercation at the Star Mall in St. Cloud should have been handled better.

He mentioned the St. Cloud community policing agreement, which he says shows the relationship between the St. Cloud Police Department and federal agencies.

Conway said federal authorities should have informed the city before arriving. 

The candidates were also asked about automated license plate readers and how to balance their use in criminal investigations with privacy.

Conway supported the technology with restrictions on how information is stored and accessed. Daisane also acknowledged its public safety uses but raised concerns about how much information interconnected cameras can collect.

Education and School Funding

The topic of education brought discussion about school funding, state mandates, and the costs facing local school districts.

Conway said state mandates can create additional expenses for schools and said the state should provide funding when requiring districts to provide additional services.

He also discussed special education and providing teachers with the resources needed to help students.

Daisane focused on increasing funding for public schools, including special education and English-language learner programs.

“Our kids deserve better,” Daisane said. “Public education is what makes Minnesota great.”

Daisane said more state funding could help school districts without placing more of the cost on local property taxpayers.

Candidate-to-candidate questions

Near the end of the debate, Conway and Daisane were given the opportunity to ask each other questions.

Daisane noted that in January, Conway voted to add immigration-status qualifications to the welcoming resolution. He asked whether Conway believed the city should welcome residents regardless of immigration status.

Conway defended his involvement in the resolution and said the City Council spent significant time discussing it before reaching its final version.

“The council did what the council should have done,” Conway said. “We had a long public … table discussion about this resolution, and ultimately it passed as presented by council member Ibrahim, and I was okay with that, and I did vote in favor of the resolution.”

Daisane responded, saying, “I did not really get the specific answers I was looking for.”

Conway then questioned Daisane about taxes, asking whether he would commit to not raising taxes on Minnesotans if elected.

“I will commit to not raising taxes on working families, seniors and struggling small businesses,” Daisane said.

Daisane said he would not make that same commitment for wealthy individuals and large corporations, and said Minnesota should also look at reducing fraud and waste to address costs.

The debate ended with closing statements from both candidates.

Conway and Daisane will face each other in the November 3 general election for Minnesota House District 14A.