An election clash that has been in the works for several months is now official.
Both State Rep. Roger Skraba (R-Ely) and Democrat Aaron Kania have filed affidavits of candidacy and are set for a November general election matchup, with Skraba’s Minnesota House District 3A seat at stake.
Neither has a primary opponent, so both are on course to meet in the fall.
Skraba is seeking a third term in office, while Kania is hoping to flip the seat back into DFL hands.
Over the course of the next several months, both candidates are sure to travel across the spacious district, which includes the Ely area but extends to the North Shore as well as north and west to International Falls and even portions of Itasca County.
Both Skraba and Kania noted the geography of the district in their respective announcements related to the start of their campaigns.
“I’ve driven all over the district these past four years and I’ve met with hundreds of constituents and elected officials during that time,” said Skraba. “I’ve found there are differences just like anywhere else but there’s so much more that we all have in common. This is the best part of Minnesota and we can work together to make it even better.”
Kania cited the size of the district, which covers over 13,000 squad miles and is roughly the size of the state of Maryland.
The DFL challenger only recently filed for election but announced his campaign in January and said his “time has been spent doing what is needed to win in northern Minnesota - developing the personal relationships to flip the district in November.”
“This race will be won one conversation at a time,” said Kania. “What we deserve right now is a leader who listens…to everyone. If elected, I will be a representative for everyone in District 3A.”
Skraba has served on several important committees in St. Paul, including Capital Investment, Environment and Natural Resources, Transportation, Housing and Legacy Finance where he serves as Vice Chair. He was appointed to the Legislative Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources.
“Being on capital investment is very important for the district, that’s where bonding projects are decided and I’ve been able to get funding for projects that have made our communities better,” said Skraba.
Skraba is a U.S. Army veteran, NDSU graduate and a Blandin Leadership graduate who has been involved in elected politics for over 25 years. He previously served as the Mayor of Ely.
“I am running to support the growth of our diverse economies in northeastern Minnesota,” said Skraba. “I want to continue to represent our way of life to grow our economies so our school children can stay in the Northland to raise families and prosper as strong communities.”
Kania said his priorities include making life more affordable, getting our economy moving again, saving healthcare, increasing funding for schools, defending against federal government overreach, preventing gun violence and protecting the Boundary Waters from the rollback of environmental protections.”
“My campaign team has done incredible work since January. We saw record turnout at the precinct caucuses, an increase in participation at the five county conventions across the district, and most importantly, built a coalition of volunteers who are knocking doors, making phone calls and talking to their neighbors about the importance of this election,” said Kania.
• In Senate District 3, there will be a rematch of the 2022 race as incumbent Democrat Grant Hauschild looks for a second term and tries to hold off the challenge of Babbitt Republican Andrea Zupancich.
Both are moving on directly to the general election.
