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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Three DFLers line up to run for District 3A

Rob Ecklund, Heidi Omerza, Bill Hansen want David Dill’s seat

Tom Klein
Posted 8/20/15

REGIONAL – The race to replace the late David Dill as state representative is already taking shape, with at least three candidates tossing their hats in the ring even before the governor announces …

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Three DFLers line up to run for District 3A

Rob Ecklund, Heidi Omerza, Bill Hansen want David Dill’s seat

Posted

REGIONAL – The race to replace the late David Dill as state representative is already taking shape, with at least three candidates tossing their hats in the ring even before the governor announces the dates of the special election. All three candidates will be running as DFLers to fill the District 3A seat left vacant by Dill’s recent passing.

Koochiching County Commissioner Rob Ecklund was the first out the gate this week, although he was quickly joined by Ely City Councilor Heidi Omerza, who made it official on Wednesday. Bill Hansen, of Tofte, who has twice sought the seat unsuccessfully against Dill, said Wednesday that he’s in the race as well. “I’m waiting on the governor’s decision on a special election before making an official announcement,” said Hansen.

In a statement, Ecklund said he’s been active in many regional issues, including economic development, transportation and clean water. The International Falls resident is also a member and past president of the United Steelworkers Union Local 159 and is employed at Boise Paper in International Falls. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

If elected, Ecklund said his goal is to protect the “jobs, values and outdoor opportunities we cherish from the shores of Lake Superior to the Rainy River.”

“My life experiences of being a veteran, husband, father, county commissioner, mill worker and an avid hunter and fisherman have shaped who I am as a public servant,” he continued. “I have spent considerable time at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C., over the past several years testifying and promoting legislation that protects and enhances our northern Minnesota quality of life. This is a big and diverse district, and I think I have the passion, energy and openness to serve the people responsibly and effectively.”

Ecklund and his wife, Joan, have three children, Nick, Jared and Cory.

Omerza, in a statement, said she was motivated by the same goal and vision that led her to seek office on the Ely City Council eight years ago.

“Northern Minnesota deserves a candidate focused on making our future bright and I am dedicated to that purpose,” she continued. “We lost a great public servant in Rep. David Dill. I am saddened by the loss and hope to continue to represent our area with his class and passion.”

Omerza currently serves northeastern Minnesota on a statewide basis as a director on the League of Minnesota Cities Board of Directors and is the past president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities.

She also serves as president of the Ely Economic Development Authority.

“Economic development and jobs are a priority; business growth, technology and retention are key,” she stated. “I believe our area has the tools and resources to thrive.”

Omerza lives in Ely with her husband, Tom, and four children, Elliott, Evan, Eric and Elizabeth. She earned a bachelor of arts in education at Hamline University.

Hansen, a longtime canoe outfitter, based at Sawbill Lake, has been an active DFLer for decades, and worked closely with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone. Hansen describes himself as a “progressive Democrat” in the Wellstone mold.

Unlike some other DFL politicians in the region, Hansen said he’s skeptical of the benefits of sulfide mining, an issue that has proven divisive among DFLers. Still, he said, legislators won’t have much say over the issue, since the regulatory framework is already largely in place. But Iron Range legislators, this past session, did push to weaken environmental rules to aid the mining industry, and those are policy changes that Hansen would be more likely to resist in the future.