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Andrea Zupancich
Republican endorsed Minnesota District 3 candidate Andrea Zupancich is a busy person. The mother of four grown children, Andrea owns and operates ZupNorth, which has four real estate offices (Babbitt, Ely, Aurora, and Virginia) on the Iron Range. She sits on the board of directors for Up North Jobs and Jobs for Minnesotans, is a member of Fight for Mining and Mining Minnesota and has been the mayor of Babbitt for the last eight years.
Also, her 22-year-old daughter and husband live across the street and recently became parents, making Andrea a happy, proud grandmother. So, with these current challenges, duties, and pleasantries, she was asked why she was running to fill Tom Bakk’s Senate seat?
“Well, I had been thinking about running for office for the last two years or so, but the timing wasn’t right because my son was still in high school. I am one of those mothers who go to all their kids’ sporting events, and I didn’t want to miss any of that. But now that my son is 19 and going into his junior year of college (he earned 40 college credits while in high school) I felt it was time to explore my options. And then when Senator Bakk announced his retirement Tom asked me to run. He said we can’t lose this seat or we’ll never get it back again,” Zapancichh told the small gathering of Cook County Republicans at the higher education building on Tuesday, July 6.
Andrea’s husband Jim is the fourth generation to own Zup’s family grocery, now in business for over 100 years. “My husband and I are very community oriented. Over the years he has raised thousands of dollars for good causes. He likes to help people. For example, during a downturn in mining during Christmas, my husband watched the smoker at the store at night to ensure there wouldn’t be a fire. He thought about the economy and the lack of jobs and lack of money for families, and he took all the unpaid charges and burned them in the smoker. That’s the kind of man he is.”
A strong advocate for domestic mining, Andrea reminded the listeners that the Iron Range produced 75 percent of the iron needed during World War ll. She chastised the Biden administration for pulling the permits from Twin Metals Minnesota, saying the proposed copper and Nickle mine was not only outside of the Boundary Waters but outside of the buffer zone that protects the Boundary Waters. “Canada operates mines closer to the Boundary Waters than the proposed Twin Metals Mine. We have been mining safely for the last 142 years and we have the cleanest water and air in the state. Minnesota should be a world leader when it comes to mining. We should be showing the world how to mine safely. Birch Lake is 25 feet deep. Twin Metals is proposing to dig 400 feet underground and mine. So far, tests have shown they have hit a little bit of water, but it’s salt water, not fresh water. I believe with our state’s rules and regulation governing mining that Twin Metals can mine safely.
“As price and demand increase for these materials, we need to increase our production, not slow it down.” She noted that if Americans choose to buy copper and nickel from third-world countries, it will be mined by poor children who make “a nickel a day.”
As an advocate for domestic mining Andrea was invited to a 12-person panel discussion with President Trump. “We discussed the importance of mining and the role of the Iron Range in mining. I have a background in tourism and marketing, so I know how vital those careers are to the Iron Range and northern Minnesota. But I also know we need the mining industry. The money from the mines helps schools across the state and boosts local economies. I am a bold advocate for safe mining and believe it can be done safely on the iron range.”
She also said she is pro-timber and would advocate for stronger domestic production to help boost area’s economies.
2nd Amendment
Not a hunter or gun enthusiast, Andrea has three children and a husband who hunt. The kids also shoot skeet. “We need to protect the 2nd Amendment,” she said. “The radical left has been trying to take away our right to bear arms. I promise if I am elected, I will stand up against the radical left’s attacks on our constitution.”
Local control was another hot-button topic. “Every day we see administrative rules and mandates put forth by government agencies that steal control from local government bodies. This must end, and the power should go back to the local government.”
On law enforcement, Zapancich said she is a strong backer of the police, and the Defund the Police movement only emboldened criminals and put neighborhoods in danger.
“We need laws that discourage criminal behavior and prosecutors who do their job. In addition, we must equip police with the resources they need to protect the communities they selflessly serve.”
An advocate for pro-life, Andrea believes unborn and elderly citizens must be protected at all costs. “I will support our seniors and support pro-life legislation. We value human life in northern Minnesota, and I pledge to be the people’s voice.” She said she suffered two miscarriages, and doctors referred to both events as “losing a child.”
“Why is it that at four weeks or six weeks, if you miscarriage, you lose a baby but if at four weeks or six weeks you have an abortion it’s just a bunch of cells?”
If elected, she would fight to limit executive power, claiming Governor Walz held emergency powers for over a year during the pandemic, which was much too long.
Zapanacich advocates for opening government and allowing small businesses and entrepreneurs to grow by lowering their taxes, making smarter regulations, and finding a system that works for individuals. She also believes parents should be given the resources to guide their kids’ education regardless of where they live. “Education decisions shouldn’t be happening to families—they should be happening in full conversation with families.”
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