An anti-Trump Republican, Quentin Wittrock, is seeking the Republican nomination for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District. Covering most of Minneapolis’ western suburbs, the Third District has supported Democrats by double-digits in recent elections.
Wittrock, a retired business litigation attorney who resides in Coon Rapids, has never held government office. The district’s current representative in Congress, Dean Phillips, is seeking the Democratic nomination for president of the United States and formally announced he will not seek reelection to his congressional seat.
State Sen. Kelly Morrison, a left-wing doctor, is the leading candidate for the district’s Democratic nomination. Morrison is an obstetrician gynecologist who voted to legalize abortion through all nine months of pregnancy in 2023.
Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Coon Rapids, and Minnetonka are among the largest cities in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District.
Retired since 2019, Quentin Wittrock founded and operates an online blog called “Principle Based Politics.” On this forum, Wittrock attempts to stake out “principle-based” positions on a variety of political issues.
Alpha News reached out to Wittrock to gain a better understanding of his political positions as he runs for Congress. We asked Wittrock about a range of topics including abortion, transgender surgeries, deporting illegal immigrants, Donald Trump, and other subjects.
When asked if the practice of performing transgender surgeries on children should be banned, Wittrock did not provide a simple yes or no answer. Instead, Wittrock said the federal government should not get involved in “over-regulation” of medical and personal decisions, “unless no other entity is available to protect the vulnerable.”
Additionally, Alpha News asked Wittrock whether he believes abortion should be legal in the United States. Once again, Wittrock did not provide a simple yes or no answer. Wittrock said he was “strongly opposed” to abortion personally and would not “recommend one” to a friend. However, Wittrock believes the federal government should not tell people “what they can and cannot do.”
Using the term “fetus” to describe an unborn baby, Wittrock outlined how “protecting the vulnerable” is his top priority when it comes to the issue of abortion. In cases of rape or when the life of the mother is at risk, for instance, Wittrock believes the woman is the most vulnerable party and should not be prevented from seeking an abortion. “In all other circumstances, the fetus is the more vulnerable party, and it should be protected,” he said.
“The American people do not favor the federal government imposing absolute restrictions against all abortions, and they certainly do not favor the federal government allowing an abortion at all times and in all circumstances,” Wittrock added. “If the states cannot reach a consensus on a uniform set of laws across the country, then and only then should Congress get involved to seek a resolution that protects both the vulnerable fetus and vulnerable women.”
When asked if all illegal immigrants should be deported, Wittrock said that immigration is a “very nuanced issue.” As such, Wittrock does not believe the issue of immigration is “well suited” to all or nothing answers. In answering Alpha News’ question, Wittrock did not specify which illegal immigrants, if any, should be deported.
Instead, Wittrock said the southern border needs to be secured and the United States’ asylum and legal immigration systems should be “reformed to expeditiously determine what immigrants should be allowed into the country.”
Regarding Donald Trump, Wittrock said he does not intend to vote for the former president in Minnesota’s presidential primary in March. While Wittrock applauded Trump’s judicial appointments, tax reforms, and several other policies, Wittrock believes Trump failed to, among other things, “demonstrate the vital American principles of honesty, service, integrity, dignity, respect, and understanding, replacing those principles with selfishness,
Should Trump win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Wittrock said he would vote for “the best alternative candidate” in the November general election.
Wittrock believes there is “ample support” for his candidacy despite the Third District’s significant Democratic leaning. Having blogged for several years about politics, Wittrock says he is now running to mobilize what he refers to as the “great political middle.” According to Wittrock, there are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who are let down when faced with “extreme” and “unacceptable” candidates.
If elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Wittrock said his top priority as a member of Congress would be “fiscal responsibility.”
“The U.S. House of Representatives, for which I am running, controls the nation’s finances through the ‘power of the purse’ established by our Constitution,” he said. “Accordingly, the House must do what it can to reduce the national debt from its current $34 trillion, shore up the looming Social Security and Medicare trust fund shortfalls, pass responsible budgets (with strong national defense), and not over-tax and thus harm the nation’s economy.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
