My Core Values

I’m Sam Temple. I’ve lived my whole life in Faribault—and I’ve spent my whole life fighting for it.

I love this town. I always have. And I’ve never understood why some people didn’t. Why do so many of our leaders treat Faribault like it’s second-tier? Why don’t working people believe they deserve better?

My parents, Troy and Linda, taught me to care about our history—and about our neighbors. They showed me how to tell stories that matter and how to speak up when something’s not right. That’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

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In 2015, I started making documentaries about Faribault’s past; not just to remember where we’ve been, but to remind us what’s at stake with every local decision. I wrote a play about our history for the Paradise Center for the Arts. I helped teach local classes. I served in AmeriCorps. I became a certified Minnesota Master Naturalist volunteer at River Bend Nature Center to better understand our local environment. I joined the city’s Planning Commission and Heritage Preservation Commission. I became an election judge. I ran for Rice County Commissioner in 2022, coming up about 200 votes short in the general election, but building a network of relationships within the community that allowed me to win a primary when I was 21 years old.

I volunteered, organized, and rolled up my sleeves to serve Faribault. I run a small business that focuses on history and community. I work for Northfield Public Broadcasting, helping people understand their local government. I’ve built strong relationships with civil servants across Rice County.

. . .

I know how the system works—and how it fails the people it’s supposed to serve. It’s not a matter of individual civil servants caring. Often, government employees have genuine passion and care for the people they serve. It’s the system they’re working in that fails to deliver.

Governments only change through political action. We need elected leaders who have the political courage to build a better system: one that is built for working people.

Our current government ecosystem is built for the comfortable; for those who can afford to attend meetings in the middle of the workday and can volunteer countless hours for little to no pay. That means many local positions, by their design, shut out the working class and those in poverty. If you’ve got a job, or kids, or both—you’re shut out. That’s not an accident. That’s a choice.

We need government that works for us—not just the well-off, not just the well-connected. We need meetings that working people can actually attend. We need transparency, respect, and accountability—not condescension and blaming someone else. We need leaders to take on challenges, do the hard things, and tell people what they may not want to hear.

. . .

I’m not interested in partisan politics. I’m interested in people. This website isn’t about a campaign—it’s about a cause. It’s about organizing together. Because when neighbors stand shoulder to shoulder, nothing can stop us.

We cannot do this alone. We need each other. We need solidarity. We need compassion and love for our community.

We need our local leadership to reflect those values and take risks to live them out.

Faribault deserves better—and so do you.