FAIRMONT — Pat Bacon is giving it another shot, touting a background in medicine and education as she again seeks the District 23A seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Bacon, of Fairmont, ran for the seat in 2014 and lost to long-serving state Rep. Bob Gunther, R-Fairmont. This year, however, Gunther is set to retire, perhaps creating an opening for a Democrat like Bacon. She is the only Democrat vying for the seat. Two Republicans — Elmore Mayor Bjorn Olson and Fairmont engineer Michael Sukalski — will square off in the Aug. 11 primary, after a closely contested endorsing convention in May gave Olson the nod.

The 23A seat includes all of Martin County, and portions of Jackson, Faribault and Watonwan counties.

“As a nurse for 30 years, I have watched families struggle to get by,” Bacon says. “They are one health crisis away from bankruptcy. Families are squeezed between caring for their children and for their aging parents.”

She says another familiar story she hears from patients is not having enough money to eat, pay for prescriptions and pay rent. Too often, she said, a choice must be made to either eat or stay healthy.

Bacon says she is running to bring awareness to these issues and find solutions in St. Paul.

She is a nurse practitioner with a doctorate in nursing practice, and says people may remember her from her time at the Smart Clinic in Fairmont. She also taught nursing at Presentation College in Fairmont as well as graduate students at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. She currently works at Madelia Community Hospital and Clinic.

Beyond health care, Bacon has a variety of concerns.

“Transportation funding comes to mind on my drive to and from work,” she said. “The importance of a diverse economy strikes me each time I go to rural communities, where manufacturing is a thriving complement to agriculture. I want to be able to go to St. Paul to help people understand what helps communities thrive.”

She also says education is vital to young Minnesotans and their families.

“Children who receive quality education become productive adults,” she said. “We must assure that education is fully funded. Our teachers must know we support them. This year, with the COVID virus, our educators, families and students learned about a different way of teaching and learning. They all need our continued support as we face an unknown future in education. We need expanded broadband as I believe school may still look ‘different’ this fall. Hybrid learning may be an option for continuing quality education.”

Bacon says she looks forward to visiting with and listening to area voters this summer.