With control of the Minnesota House potentially hanging in the balance, Republican incumbent Natalie Zeleznikar and Democratic-Farmer-Labor challenger Aaron Schweiger laid out starkly different visions for the future of House District 3B during a candidate forum Tuesday evening.
The district, which includes Hermantown, Proctor, Two Harbors, and portions of Duluth, has become one of the state’s most closely watched legislative battlegrounds. Zeleznikar has won two consecutive elections by narrow margins, making this year’s contest another highly competitive race.
Data centers were a hot topic…
One of the evening’s most heavily discussed topics was the proposed Google data center development in Hermantown, an issue that has drawn significant attention across the district.
Both candidates agreed additional oversight measures should be considered for future large-scale data center projects.
Zeleznikar pointed to legislation she has supported and introduced, including proposals aimed at increasing transparency by preventing public officials from entering certain non-disclosure agreements. She also emphasized the need to protect utility customers from bearing excessive costs associated with major developments.
According to Zeleznikar, lawmakers are likely to revisit the issue when the Legislature returns next year. She said discussions surrounding data centers are still evolving and that more policy work remains ahead.
Schweiger agreed existing regulations represent only an initial step. He said residents have voiced concerns about potential impacts on water resources, electric rates, and property taxes. He argued local communities should have a stronger voice in determining whether projects of that scale move forward.
Schweiger said any future economic development project should reflect the wishes of the community and ensure residents have meaningful input before major decisions are made.