Skraba edges Kania for third term

REGIONAL- Republican Roger Skraba held off DFL challenger Aaron Kania to win a third term representing House District 3A Tuesday, surviving a much tighter contest as voters across Minnesota handed control of the state House back to the DFL.
Skraba received 11,716 votes, or 51.79 percent, to Kania’s 10,888 votes, or 48.13 percent, according to unofficial results with all 102 precincts reporting. The 828-vote margin was less than a quarter of Skraba’s 3,664-vote advantage over DFLer Harley Droba in 2024.
Asked by the Timberjay on Wednesday morning whether he was celebrating his re-election, Skraba said he had other things on his mind.
“Not celebrating, no, just reflecting, answering texts, just trying to digest what the heck happened,” Skraba said. “I’m looking at the job in front of me right now. Relationships have to change, and we’ve got to work together. I think there’s a clear message sent: Work together. Quit picking a side. Work together. That’s what I’m reflecting on more now than the victory.”
The victory spared Skraba the fate of several fellow Republican incumbents who lost their seats as the DFL broke the House’s 67-67 partisan split. MPR News reported that Democrats could claim as many as 75 House seats, depending on recount outcomes. With the party also retaining the Senate and governorship, the election restored a DFL trifecta for 2027.
But Skraba’s path back to St. Paul came with some close calls and a loss on familiar ground.
Ely voters favored Kania, the former U.S. Forest Service Kawishiwi district ranger, over their former mayor, 935-885. Skraba carried the city 1,099-897 two years ago. Kania improved on Droba’s Ely total by 38 votes, while Skraba received 214 fewer votes than in 2024.
Morse Township stayed with Skraba by the narrowest possible margin, 444-443.
Several nearby communities also changed columns. Breitung Township, Eagles Nest Township, Vermilion Lake Township, and Hoyt Lakes all backed Skraba in 2024 but favored Kania this year. Some of those margins were razor thin. Kania won Breitung by one vote, Vermilion Lake by four, and Hoyt Lakes by six.
Skraba found firmer footing in Babbitt, where he defeated Kania 504-291. Although smaller than his 331-vote advantage there in 2024, the 213-vote margin remained a substantial contribution to his districtwide victory.
Tower, Cook, and Orr also remained in Skraba’s column, giving him margins of 13, 11, and 14 votes, respectively. Greenwood Township backed him 358-306, with his support holding comparatively steady.
Across the sprawling district, Koochiching County provided Skraba’s largest cushion. His 3,329 votes there gave him a 1,276-vote advantage over Kania, almost exactly canceling Kania’s 1,277-vote advantage in Cook County.
Skraba’s advantages elsewhere secured the victory. Skraba carried the St. Louis County portion of the district by 583 votes and the Itasca County portion by 387. Kania’s 141-vote advantage in the Lake County portion narrowed the difference but fell short of overcoming it.
Lake County was the only county portion to change sides. Skraba carried it by 293 votes in 2024, but Kania won it 1,663-1,522 this year.
Even in the counties he carried, Skraba won by smaller margins than in 2024. The largest declines came in St. Louis and Koochiching counties, which together accounted for about two-thirds of the reduction in his districtwide winning margin.
In International Falls, Skraba carried all three wards but saw his combined advantage drop from 700 votes to 255.
The candidates had offered voters different approaches to the region’s economic challenges. Skraba emphasized mining, forestry, reducing regulations, and oversight of public spending. Kania focused on renewable energy, workforce development, and making housing, health care, and other essentials more affordable.
Kania also mounted an extensive personal outreach effort, saying during the campaign that his team had knocked on more than 10,000 doors and spoken with more than 5,000 people at their homes.
The final totals reflected a more competitive DFL challenge despite fewer votes being cast in the race. Total votes declined from 26,007 in the 2024 presidential election year to 22,622 this year. Kania nevertheless received 109 more votes than Droba had, while Skraba’s total fell by 2,727.
Skraba served under a DFL trifecta during his first term, but said he would approach the coming session with a better understanding of how to work in the minority. He questioned the value of extending debates into the early morning when the outcome was already clear.
“I’ve been in a trifecta before, but now I understand it better,” he said. “Last night, someone said, ‘Now we’re going to be in meetings every morning, every night till four again.’ And I said, ‘No, we’re not. We’re not playing that game. Why are we here till 4 a.m. talking, knowing that the bill is going to pass? How about if we negotiate a deal before we start, saying, ‘Can you give us 15 percent of what we want, and we’ll work together?’ Can we do that so that we’re not tearing each other apart for two years?”