Minnesota Democratic Officials Condemn ‘Normal Guy’ Campaign Sign Additions Targeting Leigh Finke

A group of Democratic lawmakers and local officials in Minnesota have called on Republican House candidate Mark Born to remove supplemental messages attached to his campaign yard signs, arguing that the phrasing is transphobic and offensive. The controversy centers around additions bearing the words “Normal Guy, Normal Name” that appeared above Born’s campaign signs in Roseville, specifically along Snelling Avenue.

Minnesota state Representative David Gottfried shared a joint statement on Facebook condemning the signage on behalf of himself, state Senators John Marty and Clare Oumou Verbeten, and Roseville City Council member Julie Strahan. While the officials acknowledged they could not confirm whether Born or his official campaign staff had placed the sign additions, they urged him to ensure their prompt removal.

The target of Born’s campaign in House District 66A is incumbent Representative Leigh Finke, a Democrat from Roseville and the first openly transgender woman to serve in the Minnesota Legislature. The joint statement argues that while running as a working-class candidate is a standard political strategy, the specific contrast drawn by the sign additions carries discriminatory undertones given Finke’s background.

The officials wrote that positioning a candidate as a “normal guy” in opposition to Finke is intentionally transphobic. Furthermore, they contended that emphasizing a “normal name” implies that Finke’s surname is abnormal, noting that the name Finke has roots in Jewish heritage, which they argued toes a dangerous line regarding antisemitism. The statement did not provide evidence indicating that the individuals responsible for creating or placing the wording intended a reference to Jewish heritage.

Emphasizing that hate has no place in the community, the local leaders argued that any degradation of an elected official based on gender identity or family name is unacceptable. They added that the continued presence of the messages on campaign materials would serve as an endorsement of bigotry, questioning whether Born would fairly represent all constituents of different identities if elected.

Accompanying the statement on Facebook, Representative Gottfried expressed strong support for his legislative colleague, praising Finke’s track record in office and dedication to delivering results for the residents of House District 66A regardless of their background.