Rep. Deb Kiel To Retire; Potential Successors Emerge

Last Friday, Minnesota State Representative Deb Kiel announced she would not be running for re-election this year.  Kiel, a Republican from Crookston, says she’ll retire from public service. She has served District 1B, which includes Red Lake, Polk and Norman Counties plus part of Clay County, for seven terms in St. Paul.

With Kiel’s announcement, two challengers have thrown their hats into the ring.  East Grand Forks Mayor Dr. Steve Gander says he’ll be seeking the Republican endorsement for District 1B.  And Travis “Bull” Johnson of Beltrami issued a statement Wednesday saying he’s in the running, but hasn’t decided on a party affiliation or if he’ll run as an independent.  You might remember Johnson ran for Congress in Minnesota’s 7th District in 2022 in the Legal Marijuana Now party.