KAXE contacted each candidate at least twice to invite them to participate in our Election Guide, using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office.
Candidate responses have not been edited and are published exactly as submitted, including typos and formatting.
As necessary, our news team added contextual information clearly marked with an "editor's note" and in italics. We will make every effort to make note of inaccuracies if they come to our attention.
Please contact our news team at news@kaxe.org with questions or comments or to report any errors.
KAXE's Election Guide includes contested races in communities with at least 100 people. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else will be on the ballot in November.
About this race
The Minnesota Legislature passes laws and sets the state budget. It is made up of 67 senators and 134 representatives.
State House District 6A includes portions of Cass, Crow Wing and Itasca counties, including the cities of Remer, Crosby, Crosslake, Cuyuna, Deerwood, Emily, Fifty Lakes, Garrison, Ironton, Manhattan Beach, Riverton, Trommald, Cohasset, Grand Rapids and La Prairie.
Republican Rep. Ben Davis, who is running for reelection, is the incumbent. He was first elected in 2022.
The winner of the election will begin their two-year term in January.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates
Incumbent
Party: Republican
Age on Election Day: 49
Community: Mission Township
Employment: MN House of Representatives
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Ben Davis has served his community for the past four years as the state representative in MN House District 6a. He is currently the co-vice chair of the State Government Committee. He also serves on the Elections and Government Operations Committee and the Veterans Committee. Ben is also a member of the Iron Range Resource and Rehabilitation Board.
Why are you running?
Our state government is out of control with spending and pushing a big-government agenda. We need to downsize government and cut spending and stop the fraudulent abuse of our tax dollars. Lowering taxes on residents and cutting mandates on small businesses will help our economy thrive. We can accomplish this by electing conservatives state wide and bringing accountability back to government agencies. This is exactly what Ben Davis has a history of fighting for.
Why should voters elect you?
Voters should elect Ben Davis because he fights for their rights. He has a proven track record of protecting the right to bear arms and freedom of speech. He passed crucial legislation mandating government employees to report suspected fraud whereas previous statute stated employees were "encouraged" to report fraud. Ben Davis is the common-sense candidate in this election to help lower taxes and end the billions of dollars of fraud that has happened under Democrat power.
What are your top three priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
Three of the top priorities of our campaign include election reform, ending the billions of dollars worth of taxpayer funded fraud, and boosting our local economy. To accomplish election we will need Voter I.D. and end the vouching system. To stop fraud we need commissioners that will implement oversight and a legislature to hold them accountable. To boost our economy we need to lower the tax burden on hard-working families and small businesses.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
President Reagan is a childhood hero for Ben Davis. Reagan understood that when you lower taxes and let folks keep more of their own hard-earned money, they put more money into their local economy.
What natural resources policies do you support?
We need to protect hunting and fishing for our posterity. Our lakes, rivers, and streams are vital in that effort of preservation. Right now, we have a DNR that is more concerned with political ideology and burdening Minnesotans. They have become another bloated bureaucracy with around 3200 employees and 800 of them in the field. They have accrued a huge budget that further burdens the tax-payer. Ben Davis will advocate to bring common sense reform to this agency.
What policies do you support to address concerns of widespread fraud in state-run programs?
Ben Davis was able to pass bipartisan legislation that tackles fraud head-on. A crucial provision of his anti-fraud bill was passed this last biennium mandating that state employees promptly report fraud when it is suspected. Another provision from that bill that Democrats refused support was sight verification visits to any organization, entity or business receiving grant money from the state. He will continue to push anti-fraud legislation when re-elected.
What policies would you champion to help alleviate growing property tax burdens on residents at the local government level?
The Democrat trifecta pushed some of the heaviest and numerous mandates on local governments and school districts. This has caused property taxes to skyrocket. Ben Davis will fight to cut unfunded mandates to school districts and local governments.
What does representative democracy mean to you?
We live in a constitutional republic that is for the people by the people with democracy in our elections. We need representation that will advocate for common sense reform in our government because that is what the good folks of MN House District 6a want. Ben Davis will be that common sense voice in St Paul.
Party: DFL
Age on Election Day: 58
Community: Grand Rapids
Employment: City Of Grand Rapids
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Sam Grigsby is the DFL endorsed candidate for election to the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 6A. For more than 30 years, Sam’s passion for community has led him to work as an EMT, firefighter, state fire instructor, and police reserve officer, as well as serving on numerous non-profit boards in the Grand Rapids Area, including 30 years on ski patrol at Mount Itasca.
Why are you running?
"I am running because I believe the people of District 6A deserve a strong voice focused on the issues that matter most to our communities: quality rural health care, strong public schools, good-paying jobs, affordable housing, and accountability for every taxpayer dollar."
Why should voters elect you?
i am committed to strengthening our communities by standing up for working families, supporting quality schools and local health care, ensuring tax dollars are spent responsibly, and working to make life more affordable. I will be a voice for everyone in District 6A and work every day to earn your trust,
What are your top three priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
“When I am elected, I will work to protect and strengthen rural health care, advocate for a strong public education system, work to help our families afford everyday life, and ensure transparency and accountability in spending he public’s dollars, We have to look at permanent funding for schools and help achieve good effective and reasonable health care thru bipartisan teamwork.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
My all time favorite public leader has always been Abraham Lincoln. He faced adversity and a civil war with dignity and wisdom and strength.
What natural resources policies do you support?
I believe we can bring in jobs to our rate but maintain a good environmental balance, and we have to make sure we protect our lakes and wilderness. We also have to make sure we manage our wildlife levels to safe numbers.
What policies do you support to address concerns of widespread fraud in state-run programs?
I want to make sure that we staff an appropriate amount of people that can run audits and we need to make sure we have protections in place for new programs we are rolling out.
What policies would you champion to help alleviate growing property tax burdens on residents at the local government level?
We need to look at ways to help fund our schools and local government at more appropriate levels and look at the formulas we use to calculate these numbers and get them adjusted to current numbers.
What does representative democracy mean to you?
A representative democracy to me is a structure in government that allows all to have a voice. Right now I think we need to make sure that the people who elects us regardless of political party can feel that their voices are heard.
Still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for all those who've filed to run for office can be found at candidates.sos.state.mn.us.
-
Contributed/Book covers—publisher websites; Tracy KampaChildren's librarian Tracy Kampa reviews new books by Sophie Blackall, Chelsea Lin Wallace, Steve Sheinkin and Meaghan McIsaac. -
The retired DNR forester gave a walking tour of his forest property as part of a Cass Soil and Water Conservation District forest management event. -
Plus: Aitkin's 68-year-old water tower is demolished; Demuth, Klobuchar will debate in the Brainerd lakes area; and we're partnered with ICTV to host school board forums.
-
Stella Mayerhoff/KAXE / Report for AmericaRetired DNR forester Gary Anderson gave a walking tour of his forest property as part of a Cass Soil and Water Conservation District habitat management event.
