Iron Range Rep. Dave Lislegard to retire, focus on family

AURORA — Rep. Dave Lislegard of Aurora announced his retirement on Facebook on Sunday, May 26, citing a need to prioritize family.

Lislegard was first elected in 2018 and is one of two DFLers left representing the historically blue Iron Range.

In a lengthy post, Lislegard noted his legislative accomplishments and bipartisanship and expressed gratitude to the Iron Rangers who elected him.

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“This is a very hard decision for me because fighting for the Range is at the core of who I am, and what I have done for the past 20 years of my life,” the post read.

The 51-year-old legislator was raised on the Range and previously worked as a steelworker. Before becoming a state representative, Lislegard was an Aurora city councilor for 14 years before being elected mayor in 2017.

A historic DFL stronghold, the Iron Range began shifting to the right over a decade ago, with notable swings in 2016 and 2020. Lislegard’s retirement comes in an election year when the tossup districts of the Range could decide which party controls the state Legislature.

In his post, Lislegard said he hopes the next representative will continue to fight for the same major issues: mining and union jobs, taconite taxes, keeping health care dollars local, investing in communities and outdoor recreation and protecting fundamental rights like the Second Amendment and people making their own health care decisions.

“As you can see, I am proud of my record,” he wrote. “You sent me to do a job and I tried to do my best.”

Lislegard wrote that he will continue to live in Aurora and advocate for the Iron Range.