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Staff photos Brian Larsen
Rep. Rob Ecklund (O3A) and Grant Hauschild, a Hermantown City Councilor, were both in Cook County on Saturday, June 11, meeting with fellow DFLers on the rooftop at Sydney’s Frozen Custard on a warm, sunny day.
Hauschild secured the unanimous endorsement for the Minnesota Senate District 3 DFL party on May 14. Currently Grant is the Executive Director of the Essential Health Foundation. He spent the day in Grand Marais knocking on doors, meeting with folks at Higher Education and the Farmer’s Market. He is seeking to fill the seat by Senator Tom Bakk, who has announced he won’t run again. Grant will square off against Republican Andrea Zupancich, the mayor of Babbit, who is the only other candidate in the race.
When he was out meeting folks, Grant said, “The number one thing I hear about from folks around here is that they are sick about the fact that the legislature can’t come to a deal and get things they care about done in the legislature. So, my message is nonsense. I will work to get the bread-and-butter issues done for communities because we need a candidate that can just deliver.”
Grant and his wife Grace have two children, Henry and Isla. He grew up in Fargo, North Dakota and met his wife Grace at the University of North Dakota where he received his bachelor’s in political science. Before settling in Minnesota, Grant and Grace lived in Washington, D.C. where Grant worked in Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He later went to work for U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp as a Legislative Aide on labor policy and eventually as her Political Director. Grant earned his master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University.
Rob Ecklund is from International Falls. He has been a Minnesota State Representative since 2015, finishing the term of the late David Dill. Rob serves as the Committee Chair of Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Ways and Means, Agriculture Finance Policy, Environment and Natural Resources Finance Policy.
Although District 3 isn’t the most significant area in population, it is the biggest District in Minnesota, covering Cook, Lake, Koochiching, northern Itaska, and parts of Se. Louis County, along with rural communities in north and west Duluth.
Rob is a Marine Corps veteran. He worked at the Boise paper mill for 26 years. Before serving in the legislature, Rob served on the Koochiching County Board and was a youth hockey coach in International Falls. Rob and his wife Joan, have three children, Nick, Jared, and Cory.
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