Barrett was first elected to the House in 2010. He was re-elected in 2012 and 2014.
False campaign literature distribution and conviction
On February 5, 2013, Representative Barrett was fined $1000 for disseminating campaign literature that misrepresented the record of his opponent in the previous election. The Administrative Law Judge Panel concluded that the false information "likely had some impact on voters" in Barrett's 51%/49% victory. stated that his opponent “did not serve on the education committee even though our schools need help.” Barrett’s challenger Rick Olseen did sit on an education committee when he served as a state senator.
Residency questions
In 2014, Barrett's residency in the district that he represented came into question. Evidence submitted included photos of the empty house and affidavits from neighbors claiming that Barrett indeed, was not observed as being a resident of the home in question. In August 2014 District Court Judge George Stephenson ruled that "Despite his own doubts" about Barrett's residency, that the evidence was insufficient. Again in 2016, Barrett's residency was brought before the same judge that had ruled in 2014 that Barrett's residency evidence was "insufficient". In early August, evidence collected from a group of advocates were administered into a formal complaint against Barrett and his claim of residency in his own district. The Second Judicial District Judge George Stephenson found “clear and convincing evidence” that Barrett didn’t live in House District 32B. His opinion questioned the legitimacy of Mr. Barrett's testimony, including the fact that Mr. Barrett did not establish "cable/satellite television, internet, trash pickup, or a washer and dryer" at his residence. He also noted that among more than 30 visits, Barrett never was available at the home in question. Mr. Barrett had rented from a campaign contributorthe house in Taylor's Falls, MN for $300 a month, about 1/4 of which a rental property of the size and scale could be expected from a similar property in the area. The Minnesota Supreme Court heard an appeal on the ballot removal on September 6, 2016. On September 9, 2016, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the ruling removing Barrett from the November ballot. A special election will be held on Feb 14, 2017 for this seat. The Minnesota Republican Party must choose a candidate for that special election by Nov 15, 2016. This person must have resided in the district before Aug 14, 2016, 6 months before the special election.
