Mark Lindquist, a Democrat running to represent Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced on Sunday that he is suspending his campaign for Congress to travel to Ukraine to offer assistance.
According to a statement from the former candidate, he will begin by conducting humanitarian missions to help refugees. However, if allowed, Lindquist did not rule out taking up arms against Russia.
“Due to world events, I am officially suspending my campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives until further notice. In order to fully concentrate on the mission at hand in Poland and Ukraine, this is the best thing for me right now. I simply feel like this is where I am needed the most. I will conduct humanitarian missions at the border and if they eventually let me in the Territorial Defense, that’s where I’ll take my order from,” Lindquist said.
— Mark J. Lindquist (@MarkJLindquist) March 20, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged citizens of other countries to help the country’s defense amid Russia’s unprovoked invasion, saying “anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals.”
According to a report in early March, 16,000 foreigners have volunteered to fight in the conflict, according to Ukrainian officials.
Lindquist, an Air Force veteran, argued that he does not know what his political aspirations will be in the future.
“If you ask me what will happen with my political aspirations in the future, I don’t have a good answer for that. I am headed into a war zone, and nobody knows what is going to happen next. The least of my concerns right now is American politics,” he added.
Lindquist was one of the few opting to challenge Republican Michelle Fischbach.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mark Lindquist” by Mark J. Lindquist.
