Control of state House could hinge on a sleepy district outside Duluth

Control of the Minnesota House of Representatives — and whether Democrats maintain their “trifecta” in state government — could come down this November to sleepy House district 3B in northeastern Minnesota.

It is a mix of small, suburban cities ringing Duluth and rural, wooded townships stretching through the surrounding forest.

Two years ago, first-time Republican political candidate and nursing home administrator Natalie Zeleznikar of Fredenberg Township scored a surprise victory over longtime Hermantown DFLer Mary Murphy, who had served in the House for 46 years and was the longest-serving woman in legislative history.

But the narrowness of her victory — by a mere 33 votes — combined with the fact that district voters backed President Biden in 2020 by five points over former President Donald Trump, has Democrats confident they can retake the seat.

Challenging Zeleznikar this time is another Democrat with a recognizable name — Mark Munger, also of Fredenberg Township. He is a former Proctor city attorney, longtime judge and well-known author with prominent party lineage.

His uncle, Willard Munger, served in the state Legislature for more than 40 years, and was an early leader in the environmental movement. A bike path connecting Hinckley and Duluth is named after him. Munger wrote a book about his uncle titled “Mr. Environment.”

Independent groups have poured more than $300,000 into the race, making it the fifth-most expensive House race in the state. That’s resulted in a barrage of online attack ads and flyers stuffed in district mailboxes.

But the candidates have emphasized civility and hued toward more traditional party messaging, with Zeleznikar decrying Democratic spending initiatives and Munger emphasizing core Democratic issues including health care, education and the environment.

“I think this race probably will swing the Legislature,” said Cindy Rugeley, chair of the political science department at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

“And it’s another one of those races where I think turnout will make the difference.”

Town hall politics

At a recent campaign meet-and-greet in the Lakewood town hall outside Duluth, Zeleznikar pointedly placed a prop on a table in the front of the room.

It was a giant stack of papers, tied with a gold ribbon.

“It’s the 22 pound bill that took place the last minute of session,” she explained, flipping through the 1,440 pages.

On May 19 this year, just moments before the Legislature’s midnight deadline to complete its business, Democrats combined several spending-related bills into one huge package. Then, over vociferous Republican complaints, they passed it without debate.

Zeleznikar said people she meets are shocked when they see the bill. “And when they lift it, they’re even more surprised.”

For Zeleznikar, the stack of paper symbolizes what’s wrong with one-party rule in Minnesota. It’s important to have divided government again, she said, to restore some “reasonableness” to St. Paul.

“We grew government by 40 percent. The $18 billion surplus is gone. We increased the fees and taxes by another $10 billion. And people are working two to three jobs,” Zeleznikar said.

“I think that we need to get back to the basics.”

That message resonates with many people in the district, said Dan Urshan, a former mayor of Hermantown and Zeleznikar supporter who believes the state does better when both parties have a say.

“I would like to see the Democrats have to take into consideration the input of Republicans down in St Paul,” Urshan said.

Narrow margin

To win control of the House, the GOP needs to flip four seats. All 134 seats are up for grabs at the election Nov. 5, but the outcome will likely come down to just a few swing districts. Most are in the Twin Cities suburbs. This district is one of the few competitive races outside the metro.

Munger said the growing rancor in politics inspired him to enter politics, just a few months after retiring as a judge.

“I looked at the dialogue. I looked at our decorum and our civility and what’s going on in St Paul. And I thought, maybe I can add something as a trained mediator, advocate and judge to maybe smooth things over,” said Munger. “And let’s get back to talking about issues rather than name calling.”

Munger cites the shortage and cost of child care as a key issue residents of the district express concern about, something Zeleznikar also emphasizes.

Both candidates say a key refrain they hear from voters while knocking on doors across the district is the growing cost of living, including health care expenses.

Munger said he met several people who he believes will vote a split ticket in November. He said several people with signs for the 8th District Republican congressman — Pete Stauber — in their yards have asked him for signs as well.

“I asked them why, and they said, ‘Because we trust you. We know who you are, we know what you've done for your career in public service.’”

At a campaign event in a historic schoolhouse outside Two Harbors, Carl Johansson, a semi-retired consultant and Munger supporter, said he appreciates the candidate’s measured approach.

“We need to bring some more civility to the whole process. I mean, we’ve lost something in this whole process, and we’ve got to stand up and do things now and make it right,” said Johansson.

UMD’s Rugeley said both candidates face obstacles in what could be another nailbiter.

“She’s running against a big name, and so that’s tough. He’s kind of running against a trend to have more and more of these outer counties going Republican.”

If the last election's results are any indication, the 30 or so people at the events in Two Harbors and Lakewood Township could be enough to decide this year's winner — and possibly, control of the Minnesota House.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with neutral language regarding the DFL's power in the Legislature.

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