Endorsement: Lislegard is ready to hit the ground running in 6B

Dave Lislegard has experienced firsthand the cyclical life on the Iron Range. A laid off miner from LTV Steel Mining Company, Lislegard shepherded the city of Aurora through trying times for 14 years as a city councilor and most recently mayor, bringing along new businesses and the prospects of a job boom through PolyMet in the process.

Lislegard hasn’t stopped there, working on behalf of the entire Iron Range by organizing, lobbying, testifying and leading state and federal efforts to positively impact the region.

If on Nov. 6, voters in Minnesota House District 6B are looking for a Legislature that doesn’t forget about the Iron Range and will work in a bipartisan matter, they should cast their vote for Lislegard.

Lislegard’s service to the region is well documented, building relationships and standing up for the Iron Range as president of the Range Association of Municipalities and Schools, a board member for Jobs for Minnesotans — a group of labor and communities from across the Northland that advocate for the industries that power the Range — and as mayor of Aurora.

In St. Paul, those experiences will allow Lislegard to hit the ground running on Day 1, working with both sides of the aisle in the bipartisan manner voters across the state should demand from their lawmakers.

Lislegard is one of the leading supporters of the mining industry and its miners, but his capabilities and knowledge are deeper than a single issue. Through RAMS and as mayor, Lislegard has been at the forefront of the Range’s broadband issues, pushing for local and statewide legislation to better connect our residents and students for better opportunities.

His experiences also include a much-needed focus on the region’s mental health and opioid crisis, which are critical issues currently devastating the region and its already-thin resources. His involvement in the communities of the Iron Range also allow him a unique perspective on this region’s education system and how St. Paul can better aide rural districts.

His opponent on Nov. 6 is Republican Skeeter Tomczak, a combat U.S. Army veteran with two Purple Hearts, that has not held elected office.

In Lislegard, the voters of Minnesota House 6B have a candidate with a true passion for the region and its people, who is a battle-tested advocate that will have a short learning curve to go to St. Paul and get things done for the Iron Range.