Hennepin County Board candidate says he learned from his felony convictions

Hennepin County Board candidate Brad Kohler, who is challenging Commissioner Kevin Anderson to represent District 7, hopes voters will look beyond his troubled legal history.

Kohler is best known for his career as a mixed martial arts fighter and is now a gym owner, restaurant manager and entrepreneur. He also has been convicted of several felonies, including malicious punishment of a child, third-degree assault and forgery.

Kohler said he learned from his mistakes and is a better person committed to helping others because of them. He added that he battled an addiction to prescription painkillers and his felony convictions happened more than a decade ago.

“A lot of people look at those things as a negative. But to me, it is one of the greatest things on my résumé,” Kohler said. “I’ve been through the system. I fought through it and I became a different person.”

More recently, Kohler was hit with a $10,000 fine by state regulators for promoting a “Gender Wars MMA” event without a license in 2018. Kohler said the event was a skit and a comedy that had “no real fighting” and was “all choreographed,” and the state had no reason to get involved.

Commissioner Anderson, who is seeking a second term on the County Board, agrees that people can change and learn from their mistakes. But he noted that Kohler is 60 years old and his felony convictions were not youthful indiscretions.

“While forgiveness and redemption are important, accountability is key in public service,” Anderson said. “Voters have a right to consider the character and past actions of those seeking to represent them, alongside their qualifications and ideas.”

The two candidates have different plans if voters select them on Nov. 5 to be the next District 7 commissioner. It’s the county’s most rural district, covering a broad northwestern swath from St. Bonifacius to Rogers and Champlin.

Kohler, a Champlin resident, says he is focused on lowering taxes, cutting spending and bolstering public safety. He was critical of the County Board’s August vote to raise their salaries.

“When I get into office, we are not raising taxes, we are going to tighten the belt,” Kohler said.

Anderson, who is 43, said during the campaign he is highlighting his work on local infrastructure, expanding broadband access and the county’s push to end veteran homelessness. He added that county leaders work hard to make the most of the taxes they collect to deliver a “good quality of life.”

“Hennepin County has been doing some incredible things despite some incredibly challenging times,” Anderson said.

Kohler almost didn’t run for the County Board. He initially planned to run for the Third Congressional District but dropped out after his friend, Republican Tad Jude, got the GOP endorsement to face former DFL state Sen. Kelly Morrison to replace Congressman Dean Phillips who is not seeking re-election.

Kohler said he thought he would have more impact serving at the local level. He previously ran unsuccessfully for state Senate to represent District 38 in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center.

“I think the county commission is really where I can help people,” he said. Asked about his priorities, Kohler said he thought it was his calling to serve the community.

Anderson was raised in rural Minnesota and was an IT professional before running for the County Board in 2020. He says he brings a unique perspective to the board to help county officials meet the challenges rural communities face.

“The small towns I represent in western Hennepin County feel like home to me,” said Anderson, who lives in Maple Grove.

Hennepin County Commissioners oversee a staff of nearly 10,000 workers and a budget of nearly $3 billion. It is the second largest government in Minnesota, after the state bureaucracy, serving nearly 1.3 million residents.

District 7 is one of four County Board seats up for election Nov. 5. In 2025, commissioners will earn $128,336 annually.