In a short amount of time in the Minnesota Legislature, State Sen. Grant Hauschild has done an impressive if not admirable job of staying above the fray.
Politics is a dirty game, and it’s not hard for elected officials, in fact, it’s quite easy, to become covered in the muck.
Washington and to a large extent in St. Paul are mired in hyperpartisanship and the divides are glaring and more often than not stand in the way of getting things done.
When he was running for office, Hauschild painted himself as a politico who would largely steer clear of the ugliness and focus on getting things accomplished for his spacious Senate district, which includes the Ely area and extends north to International Falls, east to the North Shore, and to the borders of Duluth.
A former Congressional aide to whom Hauschild often described the most moderate U.S. Senator in Washington, former North Dakota lawmaker Heidi Heitkamp, the Hermantown Democrat pledged he wouldn’t be a party-line kind of guy.
Nearly four years in, Hauschild has stayed true to his word and has taken advantage of his position in St. Paul to deliver the goods for his district.
In Ely, we’ve seen the results across the board, whether one is talking about funding for rural nursing homes and ambulance service, or state dollars sent north for a bevy of projects.
Often in tandem with State Rep. Roger Skraba of Ely, who of course hails from the opposite party, Hauschild has been able to land state dollars for everything from school athletic facilities to regional trails projects.
Where legislators from some parts of the state don’t even communicate with elected officials from the opposing party, in our area, we’re more often than not going to see Hauschild and Skraba together, doing what’s best for their district.
That’s both rare and refreshing. Hauschild has also clashed with some in his own camp, championing permitting reform in an era when many Democrats seem bent on blocking, even torpedoing, economic development projects such as current and new mining ventures.
As Hauschild has walked the political tightrope, he’s been notably seen as a potential rising star in the party, one who could one day seek higher office such as the Eighth Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber.
If Stauber is to beat in what has quickly, if not shockingly, become a reliably red district, it will take a Democrat such as Hauschild to do it.
But at least for now, Hauschild is resisting the temptation, announcing last week he won’t look to unseat Stauber and seemingly focused on a re-election run in 2026.
That’s probably a good move for both him and the Ely area.
Hauschild would face a difficult but not impossible road against Stauber, but the time and even political climate may not be right.
As Hauschild aptly noted in his remarks after foregoing a run, Washington is indeed a mess, if not hopelessly wrecked, and he can do more for his constituents in the State Senate than in Washington.
Just over a week ago, Hauschild joined Skraba and others for a ribbon-cutting at Vermilion Community College, where officials celebrated the completion of a $3.6 million building project funded by state dollars the legislators helped to secure.
Hauschild is in a good position to keep delivering for his district. He recognized that, and we figure voters will as well. In this day and age, his is a rare political success story.
