Democrat Jake Johnson, a teacher, tries to solve the difficult math in a red district

NEW ULM, Minn. – Years ago, a teacher who had never run for political office tried to unseat a Republican who seemingly had a lock on Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.

The Democrat, who is now Gov. Tim Walz, succeeded in 2006 in unseating the Republican, former Rep. Gil Gutknecht, in that largely rural southern district that leans strongly towards the GOP.

Now, like Walz did 20 years ago, another teacher new to politics is running as a Democrat to try to unseat another Republican incumbent.

He’s Jake Johnson, whose campaigning prowess and ability to raise campaign cash has caught the attention of the national Democratic Party. Johnson, 42, hopes to unseat Rep. Brad Finstad, the Republican who now holds the 1st District seat. 

But unlike the last time a Democrat unseated a Republican in the district, it has changed and so has American politics.

And while Walz and Johnson share similarities, each man is different.