Bob Wolfe

REGIONAL— For decades, the Republican challenger in a northeastern Minnesota legislative district was little more than a sacrificial lamb. But those times have changed and along with the GOP’s newfound competitiveness in the Arrowhead, has come real competition for the Republican endorsement in the general election.
For the first time in recent memory, at least two GOP candidates will be facing off in a primary election for the right to take on incumbent District 3A Rep. Rob Ecklund, DFL, of International Falls.
It’s likely to be a hard-fought contest, featuring Ely Mayor Roger Skraba and Bob Wolfe, a political newcomer from Loman, on the far western end of the sprawling legislative district.
A relative handful of GOP delegates assembled earlier this month at the North Woods School, where they voted 17-17 to endorse Wolfe. While the vote may appear to have been a tie, the delegates were weighted differently depending on the GOP vote totals in the most recent general election. Delegates from counties like Itasca and Koochiching, with more Republican voters than in St. Louis or Lake counties, were weighted more heavily, which allowed Wolfe to come away with the endorsement despite what appeared to be a tie vote.
Wolfe, who spent 40 years in the poultry industry in California before retiring, moved back to the border country about a year and a half ago, where he lives off-grid, using solar panels for electricity. Wolfe grew up in International Falls, where his family ran a hardware store but he said his family lost its business and was forced to move away after a downturn in the wood products industry.
Wolfe served in the Marine Corps before entering the poultry business. While a self-proclaimed “chicken dude” he was active in the California Poultry Federation, and is a past president of the organization. During that time, Wolfe said he did engage in some political lobbying in Sacramento, an experience which left a bad taste in his mouth. “I had enough of a glimpse to see that it was something I would like to do,” he said. “I’d like to try to be part of the solution. I don’t believe the government is being run the way that citizens want it to be run.”
Even so, Wolfe said he hadn’t considered running until he attended his precinct caucus earlier this year. “That’s when I was told there was no conservative candidate in the race,” he said. Wolfe said he’s a firm believer in the three “Ts” of the North Country economy, including taconite, timber, and tourism. “We’ve got the mineral deposits and we need to be capitalizing on that,” he said. Given his family’s previous experience in International Falls, he said he wants to support the timber industry to ensure that it survives. Wolfe is enthusiastic about the tourism attractions in the region. “It’s just a fabulous area. Outstanding fishing. Great trail riding.”
Living off-grid has been challenging, but fulfilling, said Wolfe, although it has made campaigning more challenging than it might otherwise be. While he produces his own electricity with solar photovoltaic panels, he still gets by without running water. “I haul my water in five-gallon buckets,” he said.
The party endorsement was likely essential to Wolfe’s hopes to make it to the general election. He acknowledges he’s starting with “zero name recognition” and a very limited campaign war chest.
Skraba, by contrast, has been campaigning for office for decades, and has twice been elected as Mayor of Ely, the second-largest city in the district. Skraba said the party endorsement presents a challenge, but one he expects to overcome as the race moves forward to the Aug. 9 primary. “I’m hoping that folks in the district see the difference,” he said. “I’ve been here my whole life. People know me.”
And while Wolfe was busy laying claim to the conservative wing of the GOP, Skraba made it clear he would buck the GOP caucus at times if it’s in the best interests of the district. “I’m not going to be a Republican who wants to cut LGA, for example,” said Skraba. “If I’m in the caucus, I’ll explain how important it is to my community.”
Ely, as Skraba is aware, is heavily reliant on LGA, or Local Government Aid, to balance the city’s budget.
Naturally gregarious, Skraba has spent most of his work life as a wilderness guide in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Even so, he remains a vocal supporter of copper-nickel mining upstream of the wilderness.
He’s also had a few run-ins with federal authorities over the years, for a series of violations in the federal wilderness. While those incidents landed him in court, and slapped with various penalties, they appeared to only burnish his credentials for elected office with many in Ely.