Gates Cambridge alumnus Matt Varilek will run for the House of Representatives this autumn
Gates Cambridge alumnus Matt Varilek has been nominated as the Democratic challenger for South Dakota’s seat in the House of Representatives.
Matt has defeated Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth in a primary contest. He was endorsed by Senator Tim Johnson and former Senators Tom Daschle and George McGovern.
He will now face Republican representative Kristi Noem in the election this autumn.
Matt, who is married with two children, has been working in Washington for the last seven years for senator Tim Johnson as his economic development director.
He did an MPhil in Environment and Development at Cambridge and was one of the first year’s intake of Gates Cambridge scholars.
Matt, who worked his way through high school and college, says: “Our country faces a variety of challenges, including a dysfunctional Congress that puts special interests before average Americans. If we hope to meet those challenges, we will need members of Congress that know first-hand what it’s like to struggle and work their way up the economic ladder. And we will need members of Congress committed to cooperation, finding common ground, and identifying solutions to problems that we all care about as Americans.”
For more information on his campaign, click here. Picture credit: Matt Varilek for South Dakota.
