Senate District 11 2026 Election Guide

Contributed

Website: maryforminnesota.com

Party: DFL

Age on Election Day: 38

Community: Wrenshall

Employment: Self Employed - Lead Wedding Planner + Owner

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I’m a mom, wife, entrepreneur, farmer and animal rescuer.

I currently serve on the Carlton-Wrenshall School Board, where I was the chair that ended the 60+ year stalemate over consolidation. Prior to that consolidation, I advocated for a bipartisan bill at the Capitol that doubled the amount of aid available to schools that consolidate.

I own two event based businesses that currently employ nine people. I built those businesses while raising my kids and rehabbing our 100 year old farm. My leadership style is focused on being solution-minded and rolling up my sleeves to get the work done.

In my spare time, I assist in horse rescue by working alongside local law enforcement to get horses out of bad situations.

I graduated in 2010 from Gustavus Adolphus College where I competed on the speech and debate team. I graduated with honors with degrees in Communication Studies and History.

Why are you running?

Too many people feel like our political system is not serving them. District 11 deserves a proven, vocal leader that is going to advocate for the things that matter most to the people that call District 11 home. I’m running for Minnesota State Senate so that you have an advocate at the Capitol that is going to roll up her sleeves and get the work done.

Why should voters elect you?

Fixing the issues facing District 11 will take hard work, but I like working hard. While I’m the DFL endorsed candidate, I intend to work for everyone that calls this district home. Elected officials are in a position of servitude to the people that elect them. I promise you that I won’t forget that when I get down to St. Paul.

What are your top three priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.

1. Property Tax Relief - Too often there is a shortfall in state funding, which leaves local governments increasing property taxes. We need to find new and creative funding steams at the state level in order to close the funding gaps and reduce the property tax burden.

2. Data Center Moratoriums - Minnesota needs a pause on hyper scale data center development while the state and local government can get ordinances in place that protect the people that will be forced to live next to data centers. I also support these companies paying their fair share in taxes.

3. Supporting Family Farmers - We need additional tax relief for our local farmers. Losing our local farms contributes to the rising cost of food and increasing food insecurity. In addition, we need to expand agriculture programs in schools so that we are educating the next generation of farmers.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Former Senator Becky Lourey has become a mentor and a friend through this campaign. Becky is an advocate for rural Minnesota, social justice and proved that you can be a great mom and legislator. As a legislator, she kept her word and worked hard for her constituents.

If you don’t know Senator Becky Lourey, I encourage you to look her up. During her time at the capitol she worked on a real plan for affordable healthcare for all Minnesotans and has a vision for bettering our childcare system.

Becky’s passion for Minnesota still shows up in most conversations with her. While her time as an elected official ended in 2007, she still shows up in political circles and mentors many candidates.

I hope to one day be an effective and passionate of leader as Becky has been for this area.

What natural resources policies do you support?

As senator, I will continue to support legislation and funding that cleans up PFAs from previous dumpsites. All Minnesotans deserve access to clean water that is safe to drink. While the 2025 Amara’s Law was a good start, there are still areas in District 11 that have PFAs in drinking water - the work at the state cannot end until all Minnesotans have safe drinking water.

I also support science-backed, environmentally safe mining that benefits local economies and US companies.

What policies do you support to address concerns of widespread fraud in state-run programs?

Zero tax payer dollars should be spent fraudulently. Those that have committed fraud should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Minnesotans work too hard to have our money used to line other’s pockets.

I fully support the bills that were passed in the 2026 legislative session to create the Office of Inspector General and to update outdated software. We need to give the legislation that was passed in 2026 some time to prove effectiveness. I am committed to ensuring the effectiveness of those laws and revising them as needed.

As your senator, I promise to lead bipartisan efforts that strengthen oversight and ensure that fraudsters are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

What policies would you champion to help alleviate growing property tax burdens on residents at the local government level? 

We need to support policies that expand economic development and industry in District 11. By attracting new industries to the area, businesses can pay their share in taxes, which alleviates the burden on property owners.

Additionally, the state needs to find new and creative funding streams that are directed at property tax relief. I support rolling back tax breaks that are given to data centers and creating taxes on the sale of our digital data.

What does representative democracy mean to you?

Representative government means that we the people elect representatives that work for us. Too often our current leadership looks to their party to direct their votes. We need to get back to our representatives voting on behalf of the people that elect them. It also means showing up in the community you serve. Not just during election season, but all of the time.

As your senator, I promise to continue to show up in our communities. I promise to do the hard work that District 11 deserves.

Contributed

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Krizia Studios

Website: dowardforsenate.com

Party: Forward Independence

Age on Election Day: 44

Community: I reside in Kettle River, Minnesota, in Carlton County.

Employment: I am currently completing my doctorate in Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology and seeking a position where I can apply my education and experience in public health, research, and community service.

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I served on the Kettle River City Council from 2021 to 2024, gaining firsthand experience in local government, public budgets, infrastructure, ordinances, and constituent services. I also worked as a social worker in Adult Services for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, focusing on homelessness prevention, housing stability, and access to essential services.

My community experience includes work involving MAAFPCWDA, service as an American Red Cross duty officer, membership on the Duluth NAACP Rapid Response and Health and Environmental Equity committees, service on Minnesota’s Statewide Independent Living Council, and volunteering as a Carlton County Master Gardener.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Science in Biology. I am completing my doctorate in Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology. These experiences have prepared me to develop informed policy and effectively represent Senate District 11.

Why are you running?

Senate District 11

Why should voters elect you?

Voters should elect me because I possess the independent, accountable, and community-centered leadership our district has been lacking. I am not controlled by either major political party, allowing me to evaluate each proposal based on how it will affect the people of Senate District 11.

My experience in local government, public health, social services, and community advocacy has taught me to listen, ask difficult questions, and act when systems fail the people they are supposed to serve. I will bring residents directly into the policymaking process and fight for rural healthcare, affordable childcare, strong schools, reliable transportation, environmental protection, government accountability, and responsible economic development. I will be a visible, accessible senator who serves the entire district not political insiders or special interests.

What are your top three priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.

Rural healthcare and emergency services: Establish an early-warning program to identify rural hospitals and essential services at risk of closure. I will pursue education, housing, childcare, and service-based incentives to recruit and retain healthcare professionals, firefighters, and EMS personnel.

Affordable childcare and strong public schools: Create a state-funded childcare pilot for children ages six weeks through ten years, without an income cap, with reliable provider reimbursement. I will support competitive educator pay, special education, school mental-health services, and after-hours childcare.

Environmental protection: I oppose new mega and AI data centers in Senate District 11 and will pursue a statewide moratorium. These projects consume tremendous water and electricity, create pollution risks, receive tax subsidies, increase ratepayer costs, and produce few permanent jobs. I will protect clean water, wild rice, farmland, public health, and our electrical grid while supporting economic development that creates lasting local benefits.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

I admire Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights leader who transformed her experiences as a Black woman and Mississippi sharecropper into a powerful movement for voting rights and political representation. Despite threats, arrest, and brutal violence, she refused to remain silent or abandon her community.

Hamer helped organize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and challenged a political system that excluded Black citizens while claiming to represent them. I admire her because she did not wait for permission from powerful institutions to lead. She listened to ordinary people, spoke difficult truths, and demanded that government serve those it had ignored.

Her example reminds me that leadership is not defined by wealth, party influence, or political connections. It is defined by courage, service, persistence, and a willingness to stand for people even when doing so comes at a personal cost.

What natural resources policies do you support?

I support natural-resource policies that protect workers, clean water, clean air, forests, wetlands, wild rice, and public health. I support mining only when strong, enforceable laws hold companies accountable for worker safety, pollution, waste disposal, environmental accidents, cleanup, and long-term monitoring. Companies not taxpayers must cover these costs. Workers must also be protected from displacement by autonomous machinery and artificial intelligence without retraining or transition assistance.

I support sustainable timber harvesting, reforestation, wildfire prevention, and local forestry jobs while holding companies accountable for damage to public lands. I will defend the Kettle River and other local watersheds from industrial pollution, PFAS, and excessive groundwater use. I will also protect wild-rice waters, wetlands, wildlife habitat, fisheries, state parks, and trails. Economic activity must strengthen our communities without sacrificing workers, tribal resources, public health, or the natural resources future generations will depend upon.

What policies do you support to address concerns of widespread fraud in state-run programs?

I support requiring every new taxpayer-funded program to be developed in consultation with the independent auditing authority responsible for overseeing it. Fraud prevention must be built into programs from the beginning through standardized reporting, proactive audits, continuous monitoring, unannounced inspections, and secure data sharing across agencies.

I also support a public financial dashboard showing how funds are distributed, audit findings, corrective actions, and amounts recovered. Minnesota’s independent Office of Inspector General must be fully funded and empowered to investigate agencies, contractors, grantees, and providers.

Credible evidence of fraud should trigger an immediate review and appropriate payment safeguards. Stolen funds must be recovered, and responsible parties should face disqualification, civil penalties, or criminal prosecution. Agency leaders must also be accountable when they ignore warnings or repeatedly fail to correct weaknesses. These protections must stop fraud without delaying essential services or unfairly burdening honest providers.

What policies would you champion to help alleviate growing property tax burdens on residents at the local government level? 

I will increase and stabilize Local Government Aid, County Program Aid, and Town Aid so rural communities can fund essential services without repeatedly raising property taxes. I support expanding Minnesota’s Homestead Credit Refund, simplifying enrollment, and strengthening protections for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and residents on fixed incomes.

I will also propose a statewide property-deed security program that provides county recorders with updated software to detect suspicious filings. The system should require stronger identity verification, immediately notify owners of attempted title transfers, and allow owners to place a protective alert or lock on their property records. Suspected fraudulent transfers should be paused until ownership is verified.

Property assessments must be transparent, consistent, and supported by clear evidence, with accessible appeal procedures. I will also oppose corporate tax exemptions and development subsidies that shift infrastructure and service costs onto homeowners, farmers, and small businesses.

What does representative democracy mean to you?

Representative democracy means elected officials receive their authority from the people and must remain accountable to them throughout their service not only during elections. A representative should listen to all constituents, explain decisions openly, protect minority voices, and place the public interest above party loyalty, donors, and special interests.

As a Forward Independence candidate, I believe voters deserve more than two predetermined political choices. Independent representation creates room for practical solutions, respectful debate, and cooperation across party lines. I will evaluate legislation based on evidence, constitutional principles, and its effect on the people of Senate District 11 not on instructions from party leadership.

Representative democracy works best when government is transparent, residents can participate meaningfully, and elected officials are accessible. Public office belongs to the people, and representatives must earn and maintain their trust through honesty, courage, and service

Incumbent

Party: Republican

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.