Northern Minnesota's Republican and Democratic-Farmer-Labor party units have chosen their candidates for state Legislature and Congress.
At conventions around the region, delegates gathered throughout the spring to endorse candidates. Delegates are chosen by their fellow party members at even more local gatherings.
Delegates will attend the state conventions at the end of May to endorse candidates for U.S. Senate, governor and other statewide offices.
Endorsements do not guarantee candidates will be on the ballot in November. Traditionally, candidates who do not get the endorsement bow out of the race. But they can choose to primary the endorsed candidate. In the August primary, voters choose among candidates from the same party to decide who will move on to the general election.
We'll use the responses to this survey to help inform our coverage and what type of content we produce. All answers are anonymous and will not be shared outside our organization.
Congress
The highest level of office endorsed in this round was U.S. House. Incumbent Republican Reps. Pete Stauber and Michelle Fischbach won their party’s endorsements Saturday, April 25.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported it took multiple rounds for Fischbach to win at the western Minnesota Congressional District 7 convention in Marshall, amid party infighting. Dave Hughes, Fischbach's challenger, has previously said he'd abide by the endorsement.
At its convention in Granite Falls, the CD7 DFL endorsed political newcomer Erik Osberg over state Rep. Heather Keeler of Moorhead. He earned 65% of the vote on the first ballot. Keeler has since taken down her campaign website.
Osberg of Wadena works as a coordinator for the Rural Rebound Initiative in Otter Tail County, which aims to recruit new county residents.
The CD8 DFL in northeastern and north-central Minnesota endorsed former federal worker Trina Swanson of Hermantown at its convention in Lindstrom.
Swanson earned over 70% of votes on the first ballot in a crowded field of nine candidates. She most recently worked as the director of international operations for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. According to her campaign website, when the Trump administration asked her to carry out directives she believed were unethical, Swanson left her role and started an immigration law firm.
At least two others plan to run as Democrats in the August primary. One is Bob Helland of Duluth. The other is recent entrant to the race, former reality TV star Luke Gulbranson of Eveleth. At the convention, Gulbranson withdrew himself from the endorsement process, saying he would instead take his campaign directly to the voters.
Republican Harry Welty of Duluth plans to primary Stauber for the fifth time.
State Legislature
Local organizing units have been endorsing candidates for the state Legislature over the past few weeks.
Most incumbent Republicans have been endorsed for reelection.
One exception is in District 5, which includes Park Rapids, Wadena and Lake Shore. Current District 5B Rep. Mike Weiner was endorsed for Senate over incumbent Sen. Paul Utke. Endorsed for Weiner's House seat was political newcomer Dr. Jonathan Claussen, a recently retired family physician from Lakewood Health System in Staples and Browerville, according to his campaign website.
Endorsements are also setting up several rematches throughout the region.
In Senate District 3, Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich was endorsed by the GOP, and DFL Sen. Grant Hauschild of Hermantown was also endorsed for reelection. Hauschild beat Zupancich by around 700 votes in 2022. He is currently the only DFLer representing rural Northern Minnesota.
Senate District 6 will likely see a rematch of last year’s special election, with Denise Slipy of Breezy Point again winning the DFL nomination, and Republican Sen. Keri Heintzeman of Nisswa also endorsed.
Two of the candidates who sought the nomination in that special election were endorsed for the district’s House seats. Sam Grigsby of Grand Rapids will run for 6A against Rep. Ben Davis, R-Mission Township, and Nicky Hardy of Pequot Lakes will run for 6B against Rep. Josh Heintzeman, R-Nisswa.
Reed Olson of Bemidji is again the DFL-endorsed House District 2A candidate, as is Republican Rep. Bidal Duran.
