NISSWA — Republican Keri Heintzeman of Nisswa will represent District 6 in the Minnesota Senate, earning 60.27% of the vote to beat DFler Denise Slipy, according to unofficial results.
She will fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Justin Eichorn and represent the district through 2026, including the remainder of the current legislative session, which ends May 19. The results do not affect the balance of the Senate, where the DFL will retain its majority.
Heintzeman, 44, is a longtime political organizer, Nisswa business owner and wife of Rep. Josh Heintzeman, who represents House District 6B. Together, the couple has six children, three of whom are adults, and they run a small business called Upcountry Log LLC and own rental properties. She was the district director of the Trump 2024 campaign.
Heintzeman entered the Tuesday, April 29, special election coming off a dominant primary win and with a significant fundraising lead.
Most of the district has been reliably red for close to a decade. In 2022, the only state Senate election with the current legislative boundaries, then-incumbent Eichorn won by over 10,000 votes (63.5%).
Slipy still trailed Heintzeman in total funding heading into Election Day, but she saw a surge in the weeks after the primary, and nationally, Democrats have been seeing improved performance in special elections since President Donald Trump took office, compared to the November election.
Heintzeman finished with 12,751 votes to Slipy's 8,376 (39.59%). Complete results can be found here.
Heintzeman ran away with the Republican primary, garnering 47% of the vote and leading 80% of precincts.
She was the first Republican to announce her intent to run for the seat in an eventual primary field of eight. In her campaign announcement, she highlighted the economic struggles of families and small business owners and vowed to focus on lowering taxes, cutting regulations and combating government fraud.
"I am running for the Minnesota Senate to champion the values we hold dear — fiscal responsibility, personal freedom and government transparency," Heintzeman said in her announcement. "Together, we can create an environment where families thrive, businesses grow, and our children have a bright and safe future."
During a primary candidate forum, Heintzeman emphasized her familiarity and experience with the Minnesota Legislature, noting she lives in St. Paul with her husband and children during the session.
She declined to attend a debate with Slipy, put together by the same organizers as the primary forum and also moderated by the president of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
According to a chamber news release, she stated she would instead be using her time to have face-to-face conversations with voters through door-knocking.
But Heintzeman told Lakeland News that there were issues with the previous forum. She said she believed organizers made a mistake by not inviting Slipy to that event and pointed to disorder, "with at least three audience members calling 911 due to the lack of decorum."
As of late last week, Heintzeman had raised over $65,000 and led Slipy in fundraising by a significant margin.
Northern Minnesota business owners are the primary big contributors in the region. Several were highlighted earlier this week when the DFL filed a campaign finance complaint against Heintzeman, alleging she accepted double the contribution limit from nine individuals.
Heintzeman said the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board assured her she was not violating the law. According to the board, the special election contribution limits are separate from the regular election cycle limits.
Senate District 6 covers northern Crow Wing, east-central Cass and southwestern Itasca counties. It includes the cities of Brainerd, Baxter, Garrison, Crosby, Crosslake, Pequot Lakes, Remer, Grand Rapids and Cohasset.
-
The Crow Wing County Fair continues through Sunday, Aug. 2. -
The new law, effective Aug. 1, 2025, expands the state's ignition interlock program and extends the "lookback" period for prior DWI convictions from 10 to 20 years. -
The vast majority of the damage was caused by the Camp House Fire, according to St. Louis County. Over 200 structures were damaged, 16 of which were homes.
