A handful of familiar names inside Republican Party circles have announced they will vie for a now-vacant northern Minnesota Senate seat.
Gov. Tim Walz is expected to call a special election for the District 6 seat this week, where a primary and general election date will be set.
The seat became vacant last week when Sen. Justin Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids, resigned from the Senate. That came after members of the Senate Republican caucus threatened to expel him from the chamber following his arrest on suspicion of attempting to solicit a minor for prostitution. Eichorn was federally charged on Wednesday. By the weekend, a handful of Republicans and at least one DFLer had announced they would seek to fill the vacant seat.
Keri Heintzeman, who announced her candidacy on Friday, is wife to six-term Rep. Josh Heintzeman, R-Nisswa. She’s also been heavily involved in Republican politics and was a district director for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign in Minnesota.
“Our community deserves a leader who listens and engages with residents of SD6 and fiercely advocates for them in St. Paul,” Heintzeman said in a public statement on Friday. “I am running for the Minnesota Senate to champion the values we hold dear—fiscal responsibility, personal freedom, and government transparency.”
Josh Gazelka, son of former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, also announced his Senate District 6 candidacy on Friday.
“Our district needs strong, steady leadership—someone who will fight for small businesses, families, and our conservative values,” Gazelka said on social media. “The primary is just a few weeks away, and I’d love your support as we take on this challenge!”
On Monday, Jennifer Carnahan, former chair of the state Republican Party and widow to former GOP Congressman Jim Hagedorn, threw her hat in the ring.
“Running for Senate was most certainly not a part of my 2025 plan, but over the past week, I’ve been encouraged and asked by many to run because the people in our area are tired of the same career politicians who come out of the woodwork, make big promises, and then forget about us while building their household wealth off our taxpayer dollars,” Carnahan said in an announcement on social media.
Carnahan, who currently serves as mayor of Nisswa, resigned as GOP chair in August 2021 when she was accused of creating a toxic workplace and after party donor Anton Lazzaro was charged with (and later convicted of) sex trafficking minors.
Doug Kern, a conservative activist and chairman of the Crow Wing Township Board, has also entered the race.
Other Republicans who are running include Dr. John Howe, a businessman and retired veterinary practice owner; Angel Zierden, a small business owner and former mayor of Breezy Point; and Steve Cotariu, a U.S. Army veteran and businessman.
On the DFL side, former Democratic House candidate Emily LeClaire announced she would also run for the seat.
Senate District 6 spans a portion of north-central Minnesota from Grand Rapids to Brainerd to the northwest shore of Lake Mille Lacs. In 2022, then-Sen. Eichorn defeated his DFL opponent, Steve Samuelson, by 27 percentage points.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
