DFLer Grant Hauschild • Hermantown

Minnesota has an estimated $9 billion budget surplus. What do you propose to do with the money?
One of the reasons I’m running for the Legislature is because I’m tired of the political gridlock that is getting in the way of results for real Minnesota families. If you paid attention to the last legislative session, you’ll know that the legislature adjourned having done little for working Minnesotans and those on fixed income.
First, we need a special session as soon as possible to pass extended unemployment for our Northshore miners. Beyond that, I would strongly support getting our fair share of funding for our Northland schools and infrastructure like roads and sewer so we’re less reliant on people’s property taxes locally. It is imperative that we relieve families during this challenging time by providing middle class tax relief, childcare tax credits, and eliminating the tax on Social Security income so that more folks can stay and retire in Minnesota.

Minnesota currently has an unemployment rate of 1.8 percent and the third-highest workforce participation rate in the country. While this is good news for workers, businesses are struggling to find qualified employees. How do you propose to help businesses find the workers they need? Would you support allowing more immigrants to come to Minnesota to help fill the many open positions?
This is one of the top concerns we hear across industries in northern Minnesota from our hospitality and tourism industry to our hospitals and construction sectors. I would support expanding immigrant visas to help fill positions in northern Minnesota. However, the other issue we face is the housing shortage in northern Minnesota. I’ve heard from businesses who have been able to find staff but then are unable to find them an affordable housing option.

Health care in Minnesota, particularly rural health care, is also experiencing a dire shortage of workers, and the disparities in rural health care are projected to get worse over the next five years. The problems exist from doctors and nurses to mental health professionals and long-term care aides. What would you do to address this?
I work for a hospital foundation where I have become acutely aware of the workforce challenges facing our health care industry. In addition, my wife is a frontline health care worker and has seen firsthand the stresses facing our nurses and other health care staff every day. We need to fight for fair contracts for our Northland nurses that will help us recruit and retain these critical staff, as well as look at patient and staff safety issues to ensure more workers feel safe working in the hospital environment. I would also work with our Minnesota North Colleges, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and St. Scholastica to find ways to partner more with our Northland hospitals, clinics, and rural critical access hospitals to ensure we’re creating a workforce pipeline right here in northern Minnesota.

While gas prices are declining, food inflation continues to be a major problem for families. What ideas do you have for helping families cope with the high cost of groceries?
In the short-term, I have advocated for a $1,000 credit for families in Minnesota utilizing the state surplus that could be used for groceries and gas. Because we know that inflation is a global and complex problem, this isn’t necessarily a way to solve the more mid-to-long term effects of inflation. However, providing relief for families now is important, especially with the surplus we have available to us.
In the mid-to-long-term, I would look for opportunities to expand the Duluth Port to ease supply chain concerns right here in the Midwest. I would look to a bonding bill that could help us with our rail, highway, and port infrastructure to enhance our supply lines and make northern Minnesota a valuable investment for homegrown manufacturing. Lastly, I would look for the IRRRB to continue to make investments in diversifying our economy so that families across the Northland have quality, sustainable jobs right here in northern Minnesota.

Scientists are raising increasingly dire warnings about climate change and we’re already seeing an astonishing increase in extreme weather, as well as food shortages and higher prices for food due to the warming planet. How do you propose to address climate change?
We need a state Senator who believes in climate change. I would work to partner with our industries to incentivize a green transition to renewable energy that works for Minnesota. This includes supporting carbon-free electricity by 2040, reducing CO2 emissions to zero by 2050, and incentivizing a transition to electric vehicles by investing in charging stations and purchase credits.

The Minnesota Constitution independently guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion, and most restrictions on abortion in Minnesota were ruled unconstitutional in July. What restrictions or protections to this right would you advocate for in the Legislature? Would you support a constitutional change implementing a ban on abortion in Minnesota?
I want to keep the government out of women’s health care decisions. The 201 state legislators in Minnesota have no place making decisions on women’s reproductive health. My opponent on the other hand has sent campaign materials describing her belief in 100 percent pro-life legislation that would provide no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. This is a clear choice between my opponent and I in this election.

Affordable housing is an enormous need throughout Minnesota. How do you propose to create more affordable housing in northeastern Minnesota?
Housing availability and affordability have become a major problem in northern Minnesota. Like I said above, the housing issue also impacts our ability to recruit workers to northern Minnesota and far too many families in the Northland are unable to afford their first home because of these challenges. However, it’s not just home ownership that is a concern, we also know rental prices are skyrocketing. I would push for legislation expanding first-time homebuyer down-payment assistance, rental assistance credits, and Housing Infrastructure Bonds to create new units of housing. In addition, I would look for ways to form even better partnerships between our residential construction industry and our trade unions to expand workforce training opportunities. This would help us build more housing and provide high-paying, sustainable jobs in northern Minnesota.

Why do you think you are the most qualified candidate for this position?
The last thing we need here in the Northland is a state Senator who is going to be one-sided, or who will get in the back of his or her party’s line and wait for directions. I have experience working at all levels of government from federal and state, to the local level.
I started my career working in the U.S. Department of Agriculture on rural economic development and housing. I later received my master’s in public policy from George Washington University and started working on federal labor policy as an Aide to U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp. While working in the U.S. Senate I wrote postal reform legislation to save our rural post offices, advocated for pro-labor rights legislation, and fought to increase pay for over 200 Air Force employees. Now, I serve as a local city councilor in Hermantown where I see firsthand the issues facing our local communities. In my day job, I run a health care foundation where I raise money for patients and families who can’t afford the care they need. As part of that work, I helped establish the Ronald McDonald House Northland for sick kids across our region.
With my broad range of policy experience, I’ll be ready on day one to deliver for our region. I want to stay out of the nonsense that plagues our politics and be an independent voice for the Northland. I hope I can earn your vote on November 8th because we need a Senator who can just deliver.

Republican Andrea Zupancich • Babbitt

Minnesota has an estimated $9 billion budget surplus. What do you propose to do with the money?
The surplus is a result of over-taxation, so I would support permanent income tax cuts targeted to the middle class and working Minnesotans. I also think we need to get our kids back on the right track and invest in literacy and mental health support. Finally, we need to keep people safe. I would use the surplus to recruit, train, and retain qualified law enforcement so people can feel safe no matter where they live. 
  
Minnesota currently has an unemployment rate of 1.8 percent and the third-highest workforce participation rate in the country. While this is good news for workers, businesses are struggling to find qualified employees. How do you propose to help businesses find the workers they need? Would you support allowing more immigrants to come to Minnesota to help fill the many open positions?  
 I’m a first-generation American. My parents immigrated to America from Germany and I’m incredibly proud of the life they built and try to follow in their footsteps to work hard and treat people right every day. Changing immigration policy is a federal matter, but I support career training and education opportunities so everyone can find a job they love. We can also focus on technical schools and apprenticeships to get more people into the workforce quickly. A four-year degree may not be for everyone, and we can do more to encourage young people to consider all their options for a career. 
 
Health care in Minnesota, particularly rural health care, is also experiencing a dire shortage of workers, and the disparities in rural health care are projected to get worse over the next five years. The problems exist from doctors and nurses to mental heath professionals and long-term care aides. What would you do to address this?  
 The people who work in our healthcare industry are compassionate, kind, and caring people I am incredibly grateful for. I would support retention and recruitment bonuses to bring more people into the career field. We also need to support a temporary staffing pool to provide emergency coverage when staff needs can’t be met. Finally, I think Minnesota should join 29 other states in the nurse licensure compact and allow nurses to obtain a single license to work in many states to immediately open up jobs for qualified, skilled people who already live here. 
 
 While gas prices are declining, food inflation continues to be a major problem for families. What ideas do you have for helping families cope with the high cost of groceries?  
 First, I think we’ll see more increases in gas prices as OPEC limits output and energy demands increase in the winter months. Again, money back from the surplus certainly will help families help with these costs right away. The grocery increases are stemming from other issues: transportation (and high gas prices overall), inventory shortages, employee shortages, etc. Permanent tax relief, rather than one-time rebate checks, will give people the relief they need every month, not just when government decides to be generous.
 
 Scientists are raising increasingly dire warnings about climate change and we’re already seeing an astonishing increase in extreme weather, as well as food shortages and higher prices for food due to the warming planet. How do you propose to address climate change?  
I support renewable and reliable energy resources that can reduce emissions without driving up costs for consumers. Solar and wind are nice for California, but we can’t survive blackouts when it’s -20 degrees outside. We have an abundance of natural resources right here in Minnesota that will build the green economy of the future. I would preserve our beautiful lakes and forests while we safely resource the minerals and materials needed to innovate for the next generation and beyond. 
 
The Minnesota Constitution independently guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion, and most restrictions on abortion in Minnesota were ruled unconstitutional in July. What restrictions or protections to this right would you advocate for in the Legislature? Would you support a constitutional change implementing a ban on abortion in Minnesota?   
 I feel there needs to be a conversation about common sense and consensus policies on abortion. I am personally pro-life, and 70 percent of Minnesotans support some restrictions on abortion, but the bipartisan restrictions passed by the Legislature were thrown out by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Ultimately, it will have to be the choice of Minnesotans to vote on it. At the Legislature, I would support making it easier for women and families to choose life. Senate Republicans recently proposed and passed workplace protections for pregnant and nursing moms and extended medical assistance coverage to low-income moms and babies for a full year after birth. Those are the kinds of things I think we can all agree on and support. 
 
Affordable housing is an enormous need throughout Minnesota. How do you propose to create more affordable housing in northeastern Minnesota?
There are a lot of pieces that affect housing. First, the inflationary cost of building materials is now more than the value of the home once it’s built, slowing development and new-builds in an affordable price range. Second, the market has slowed down and that affects inventory, especially in the starter-home price range. For example, in Babbitt we have a new area for housing and multi-housing, but we cannot find someone to take on that project at the moment. Finally, as the federal monetary policy drives up interest rates, you’re going to see people priced out of the market because of interest rates. But the answer can’t just be government-subsidized housing. It’s not a long-term solution. High inflation, closed mines, and soaring cost-of-living; we have to correct our economy and attract people to northern Minnesota with good paying jobs, quality schools, and safe communities to open up affordable homes in the free market.
 
Why do you think you are the most qualified candidate for this position? 
I know I can represent the needs of the citizens in District 3. I have raised my family here and started my own business to be a part of the community I love. My husband’s family has a long-standing generational business that serves many communities. Most importantly, I am not a career politician, and this is not a stepping stone to higher office for me. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49, and Senator Tom Bakk to name a few. I’m running because I care deeply about the Arrowhead region and I want to see the district grow and thrive.