ST. PAUL — A pair of Republican state representatives are looking to fill a void in the Minnesota Senate.
State Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, and state Rep. Barb Haley, R-Red Wing, have both announced they plan to seek the Senate District 21 seat being vacated by Mike Goggin, a Republican who has announced he will not run for re-election.
“Having grown up in and raised a family in Goodhue County, I know the issues that our communities care about very well,” Haley said in a written statement announcing her run for the state senate.
Haley has served House District 21A since getting elected in 2016. Currently, she is the House Republican Whip.
Drazkowski was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2007 and serves District 21B. He has won eight consecutive elections to the House in a district covering parts of Dodge, Goodhue, Wabasha and Winona counties.
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He has served as chairman of the House Property Tax Committee and is the leader of the New House Republican Caucus. Prior to that, he served as assistant minority leader in the House Republican Caucus.
In a press statement, Drazkowski said he will draw a contrast with Minnesota Democrats.
“The anti-freedom policies of Tim Walz and Joe Biden have seized our civil liberties, burned our cities, disrespected the police and the rule of law, and severely threatened the economic well-being of our families,” Drazkowski said. “Our campaign will promote a people-centered agenda that restores freedom, honors the rule of law and strengthens families and citizens."
Haley thanked Goggin for his years of service in the Minnesota Senate.
"I am proud to have worked with him over the past few years," Haley said. "We share a common-sense conservative approach."