Incumbent Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) is facing Andrea Zupancich (R-Babbitt) for the Minnesota Senate District 3 seat in a rematch of the candidates’ 2022 contest.
Hauschild eked out a win by just over 700 votes last election cycle, securing a 1.62% margin over Zupancich’s vote share.
In separate interviews, Hauschild highlighted his successes working across the aisle for Northern Minnesota, while Zupancich said her experience in local government has prepared her for state office.
“What I’m fighting for is fairness for Northern Minnesota and prioritizing our region above all else,” Hauschild said. “I’ve proven I’m able to work bipartisanly to do that and deliver for our communities.”
Zupancich has served over a decade in Babbitt’s city government as mayor and on council, in addition to running her own real estate business.
“Being a part of the community and on other committees really has inspired me to learn more and really fight for our area and our district,” Zupancich said. “That’s why I feel I’m ready to go on to the next step.”
Both candidates said fraud is among the top issues they hear from voters.
“People are deeply concerned that taxpayer money is being stolen, and rightfully so,” Hauschild said.
Hauschild said he helped pass a bill creating the Office of the Inspector General. This office holds power to investigate fraud within the state government.
“This is something I’ve really worked bipartisanly on. I’ve called out the governor of my own party and really pushed him from running again because I just think he dropped the ball on this,” Hauschild said.
Zupancich decided to run again to address the state’s misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Zupancich was among 98 mayors statewide who signed a letter late last year expressing concern over fraud in Minnesota’s state budget.
Fraud is trickling down to individual cities, Zupancich said, and making it difficult for taxpayers who face increasing costs and perceive that their tax dollars fund fraud.
Zupancich said cities across the state must fight for state bonding money, and the $9 billion some federal prosecutors estimate was lost to fraud could help fund local communities, allowing for smaller levies.
“We’re pitted against each other, and here’s $10 million per city that just got flown out of the country,” Zupancich said.
Lost tax money has limited funds available for EMTs, veterans services, police, infrastructure and other services essential for small cities, Zupancich said.
Hauschild said affordability is another key concern for voters. He said he had success advocating for social security tax cuts throughout his four years in the legislature.
“People are really concerned about their budgets being stretched,” Hauschild said.
Hauschild has been proud to secure funding for rural ambulance services and nursing homes, and also bring seasonal property tax dollars back to northern school districts through legislation he pushed through last session with House support from State Rep. Roger Skraba (R-Ely).
Zupancich suggested the Minnesota Homeowner’s Homestead Credit Refund should keep pace with the rising price of property values and property taxes. The homestead credit provides tax relief.
Zupancich said some of her top priorities are improving children’s educational outcomes, supporting rural EMS and proactively bringing businesses into the region.
“We have to have three things: jobs, housing and daycare, and trying to get us back to where the populations were years ago when there was mining, tourism and logging all working together for the communities,” Zupancich said. “That’s when they were thriving.”
If re-elected, Hauschild said an economic relief package for wildfire- impacted businesses would be among his first commitments during the legislative session.
In addition to providing IRRRB funds for large employers and industries, Hauschild said financial support for smaller entrepreneurs in Northern Minnesota is important.
“If we’re not funding innovations and entrepreneurship, I think we’re really missing the boat on encouraging young people to be here and encouraging opportunities for job growth,” Hauschild said.
The Second Amendment is an important value for Zupancich, who said she “would never take guns away.” She supports an increased focus on mental health.
Zupancich said she was honored to receive the previous District 3 senator’s endorsement, Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook), in 2022.
“If he had faith in me, then I figured I can do this,” Zupancich said.
Hauschild said he intends to increase his focus on childcare if re-elected, which might include efforts to make current regulations work for rural childcare providers, who often must follow rules established for much larger daycare centers.
He added that supporting young families and their presence in the community is “not just a moral objective, but an economic one.”
Creating a rural hospital stability fund would also be a key objective for Hauschild.
The DFL currently holds a single- seat majority in the Minnesota Senate. This November, Northern Minnesota voters could determine which party controls the Senate.
