REGIONAL— Last week’s announcement that Sen. Tom Bakk won’t seek re-election has all but guaranteed a hotly-contested campaign for the largest geographical senate district in the state. The Third District, which now stretches from near Baudette in the far west all the way to Grand Portage in the east and Duluth in the south, has long been a DFL stronghold. But that has changed remarkably in the past few years, all but ensuring that both parties will pour considerable resources into the contest.
Sen. Bakk said he plans to stay out of the contest and has made no endorsements of any candidates to date. “I am staying out of the race until after the primary and may not pick a horse even after that,” he said.
On the Republican side, Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich announced her candidacy on Monday. Zupancich was one of seven Iron Range mayors who publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2012, mostly over his stated support for copper-nickel mining in the region. “I know that we have an abundance of natural and human resources, including our hard-working families, that need a strong voice to advocate for them at the Capitol,” stated Zupancich in a statement.
Zupancich, a first-generation immigrant from Germany, has served as Babbitt’s mayor since 2014 and she’s operated z’UP North Realty, for more than a decade. She’s married to Jim Zupancich, a member of the family best known for owning and operating a series of grocery stores in the region, and has four children.
On the DFL side, Bakk’s announcement has already created a shake-up in the contest. Keith Steva, of Lake Vermilion, was set to officially announce his candidacy on March 20, but suspended his campaign the day before in favor of Hermantown city council member Grant Hauschild, who confirmed he’ll be entering the race.
“I always maintained and told my close advisors that if a DFL candidate came forward who could bring together the many interests of the party and the people of the district, I would step aside,” noted Steva.
Steva said he expects Hauschild will receive the DFL endorsement and the support needed to win the Senate seat in November.
Hauschild is a relatively new resident of the district, having moved to the Hermantown area from North Dakota in 2018. But he brings with him more than a decade of political experience, beginning in his college days at the University of North Dakota, where he served as student body vice president while earning a political science degree. He went on to work first as an aide, and later as political director, to North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.
While living in Washington, D.C., he earned a master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University and also worked in rural development for the Obama administration, serving in the Department of Agriculture. Since moving to Hermantown, he has served as executive director of the Essentia Health Foundation, which provides a wide range of funding to Essentia facilities all across the region.
He describes himself as a “pretty grounded, no nonsense moderate Democrat, who looks out for working people.”
Hauschild says he’s a product of the Midwest and has always enjoyed the region’s willingness to help neighbors. “Life is that much easier when we have each other’s back,” he said. “I chose the party that exemplifies that view.”
He said he’s also a believer in science and believes action on climate change is important. At the same time, he said he trusts the process when it comes to mine permitting. “I don’t claim to be an expert on it,” he acknowledged, “but I know I want to live in a country and a state where we can rely on the process in place. If we let politics bleed into this, we’re living in the wild west.”