By Jerry Burnes/Iron Range Today

Three-term State Rep. Dave Lislegard of Aurora, among the last DFLers representing the Iron Range and one the region’s most effective advocates, will not seek re-election for the House 7B seat in 2024.

Lislegard wrote in a statement Sunday that he needed to prioritize his family, but would continue to be a voice for northeastern Minnesota.

“They have sacrificed so much to allow me the honor of fighting for the people of the Iron Range, the place we all call home,” he said. “They need my full attention and dedication — I know each of you would make the same choice.”

Lislegard rose to prominence as a community organizer behind the efforts supporting the then-PolyMet (now NewRange) copper-nickel mine project on the East Range, before being elected to the Aurora City Council and later mayor.

A former United Steelworker and product of the LTV Steel closure in 2001, he was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2018 on a message of “people before politics” bipartisanship that would define his six-year tenure in the Legislature.

Democrats across Minnesota gained a stronger foothold in the state in recent elections, which brought more prominent influence against copper-nickel mining sites, but bills that would cripple or outright end new those projects never gained significant ground in St. Paul.

“Dave fought tirelessly for his community and the Iron Range,” said Jason George, president of the IUOE Local 49, who helped found Jobs for Minnesotans with Lislegard, among others. “He didn’t care about party politics, his heart was with the people that elected him, and that is a rare attribute these days that will be sorely missed.”

Despite the lack of serious legislation, the growing DFL opposition to copper-nickel projects and the shifting political landscape of the Range spurred on by former President Donald Trump in 2016, Lislegard’s seat became one the most sought after by Republicans.

A strong labor coalition, bolstered by a series of wins for Iron Range communities, propelled Lislegard to outperform statewide Democrats across the board. Among his biggest wins in the Legislature were bills to increase Local Government Aid, increasing the taconite tax property tax credit and funding several regional priorities through state bonding bills.

“Representative Lislegard’s strength as a legislator is rooted in his deep love of the Range and alignment with the values of working-class Minnesotans,” said Gov. Tim Walz, in a statement to Iron Range Today. “He has delivered millions of dollars in jobs and projects for the Range and helped lower costs for Minnesota families. I have tremendous respect for him and look forward to seeing what he does next. ”

Lislegard was also the strongest voice in the Legislature supporting state mineral leases going from Mesabi Metallics to Cleveland-Cliffs, which the state Executive Council finalized in May 2023. The lease assignment injected new life into Hibbing Taconite, which was in danger of shutting down by 2026 due to a lack of ore, putting about 750 jobs in danger.

This past session, Lislegard and Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, spearheaded permitting reform legislation that clears up the state process for not only transmission lines and clean energy projects, but also mining, passing the changes in law through a DFL trifecta that ultimately garnered Walz’s signature. The governor and Lislegard were early proponents of permitting changes, citing the need for more certainty in the process for applicants.

What’s next for the DFL on the Iron Range remains unclear. Republican Cal Warwas is entrenched in the race and would appear to be the favorite after several seats shifted to Republican in 2022.

Lislegard said he hoped his replacement would continue his priorities next session.

“I found I did my best when I listened to you and our leaders from cities, towns, and community organizations,” he wrote in a statement. “I listened no matter if you were a Republican, Democrat, or Independent.”