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.
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About this race
The Minnesota Legislature passes laws and sets the state budget. It is made up of 67 senators and 134 representatives.
State Senate District 3 represents almost the entirety of the Minnesota Arrowhead. It includes Koochiching, Lake and Cook Counties and portions of Itasca and St. Louis Counties, including towns around the Duluth metro.
DFL Sen. Grant Hauschild, who is running for reelection, is the assistant majority leader in the Senate. He was first elected in 2022.
The winner of the election will begin their four-year term in January.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates
Incumbent
Website: grantformn.com
Party: DFL
Age on Election Day: 37
Community: Hermantown
Employment: Essentia Health, Strategic Communications
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
-Bachelors in Political Science from University of North Dakota
-Masters in Public Policy from George Washington University
-Former City Councilor in Hermantown
-Rural Economic Development Specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Why are you running?
I’m running because I love Northern Minnesota and I want to keep delivering for the communities I represent. This is a huge, diverse district, and every community deserves someone who will listen, show up and fight for its priorities. For me, this job has always been about putting the Northland first, working with anyone who can help us get something done and making sure northern Minnesota has a strong voice at the Capitol.
Why should voters elect you?
I’ve tried to earn people’s trust by being accessible, independent minded and focused on results. I’ve worked across the aisle to bring resources back to our communities, support our schools, strengthen rural EMS and rural health care, provide social security and property tax relief and stand up for the industries and communities that make Northern Minnesota special. I don’t agree with everyone on every issue and I'll call out either side if it's bad for Northern Minnesota, while working with anyone with a good idea if it makes a difference for my constituents.
What are your top three priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
First, lowering costs for families and seniors. I want to continue reducing property taxes, protect the Social Security tax relief we secured in 2023, and bring down the costs of housing, child care and everyday expenses.
Second, strengthening rural health care and emergency services. I’ve made the rural EMS crisis a top priority, but federal cuts now threaten rural health care. I’ll keep fighting for our hospitals, ambulance services and fire departments so people can get care no matter their zip code.
Third, growing northern Minnesota’s economy. That means supporting our industries and manufacturing, investing in infrastructure and workforce development, and making sure state policies recognize that a strong Minnesota economy depends on a strong northern Minnesota.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Paul Wellstone. I recently visited his memorial on the Iron Range, and it reminded me why his approach to public service still resonates. His constant refrain, “We all do better when we all do better,” is a simple idea, but it says a lot about how government should work. He believed in standing up for people, staying close to the communities he represented and making sure progress reached everyone, not just a few. I admire him deeply for that.
What natural resources policies do you support?
I believe we can protect the natural resources that make northern Minnesota special while also supporting the industries that have sustained our communities for generations. I support strong environmental standards, science based permitting and a fair process for mining, forestry and other natural resource projects. I also strongly support protecting clean water, public lands, hunting and fishing opportunities and making sure local communities have a voice in decisions that affect them.
What policies do you support to address concerns of widespread fraud in state-run programs?
Fraud is theft from taxpayers, and we need to treat it that way. At the Legislature, we worked in a bipartisan way to create an independent Office of Inspector General with the authority to investigate and prosecute fraud and hold government accountable by staying separate from the governors office or any political party influence. I also support stronger prison sentences for people who deliberately defraud taxpayers and much more aggressive efforts to recover stolen public dollars. Prevention matters, but so does making sure there are real consequences when someone steals from Minnesotans.
What policies would you champion to help alleviate growing property tax burdens on residents at the local government level?
I believe we need to provide direct property tax relief to Minnesotans due to the rising levies we're seeing at the local level due to federal mandates in the One, Big Beautiful Bill. I led the effort this last session to provide $125 million in property tax refunds that equal approximately $1,600 for the average Minnesota recipient. I also passed a major increase in the Taconite Homestead Credit, providing up to $515 in property tax relief for many northern Minnesota homeowners using taconite tax proceeds. Going forward, I want to keep building on those efforts and make sure rising property values do not result in people being priced out of the homes.
What does representative democracy mean to you?
To me, representative democracy means showing up, listening and remembering who you work for. I represent a politically diverse part of Minnesota, and I do not expect everyone to agree with me on every issue. My responsibility is to hear people out, be honest about where I stand and make decisions based on what I believe is best for the communities I represent. It also means being accessible and willing to have difficult conversations face to face, rather than hiding from constituents. I have made public townhalls and roundtables a big priority in representing the largest senate district in the state because I believe my constituents deserve a Senator who shows up wherever they are.
Website: andreaformn.com
Party: Republican
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
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.
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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.
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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.
