Legislative candidates start coming forward

Former state Republican Sen. Carrie Ruud of Breezy Point is seeking office again.

Current state Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd, plans to relocate to seek election to a new Senate district.

And at least two newcomers will vie to be area state representatives.

It's all the result of redistricting, where new legislative boundaries were drawn according to the 2010 census.

Following is a roundup of area candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring for the November general election since the new boundaries were announced last week.

Senate District 10

senator

Carrie Ruud, Republican, Breezy Point: A former District 4 state senator, Ruud announced her candidacy for the new Senate District 10 seat and will seek the Republican endorsement.

Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd, currently serves this area but announced he will relocate and seek election in a new Senate district.

Ruud's highest priority will be to reduce burdensome regulations on businesses and help them to create employment opportunities for citizens of Crow Wing and Aitkin counties, she said in an email. She co-owns Lakes and Leisure Realty in Breezy Point with her husband.

Ruud, 60, said her roots and business experience run deep in this new district and as a small business owner, former Breezy Point mayor and former state senator, Ruud said she has the expertise and experience needed to effectively represent a new Senate District 10 in St. Paul.

House District 10A

representative

Kurt Martin, Repub-lican, rural Brainerd: Martin announced his candidacy for House representative in District 10A and will seek the Republican endorsement.

Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, currently represents this district. Ward hasn't yet announced his political plans.

Martin, 54, was born and raised in northeast Brainerd, graduated from Brainerd High School and lives in rural Brainerd with his wife, Tami.

He has owned and operated Martin Communications Inc., a technology company, for the past 27 years. In an email, Martin said his operating experience has given him a unique insight and understanding of the issues facing other businesses, manufacturers, utilities, schools, hospitals and local units of governments, all of which his company regularly interacts with.

Martin has been active in the Republican Party for more than 10 years, holding a seat on the Executive Committee and serving as both a county and state delegate.

Martin said jobs and the economy are the most significant issues facing the state. Social issues, mainly the integrity of the family, are close and interrelated issues, he said, pointing to the overwhelming tax burden as the common root cause.

In support of his conclusions, Martin said Minnesota has the sixth highest business taxes, ranks seventh in overall taxation, and total government spending consumes 41 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Martin said his mission as state representative would be to reduce total government spending to less than 30 percent of the GDP. He believes this would be instrumental in bringing jobs to the state and would allow a family to once again enjoy a middle class lifestyle from a single-income household, which he holds is essential to preserving the family.

House District 10B

representative

Joe Radinovich, DFL, Crosby: Radinovich will make his first bid for public office, seeking the DFL endorsement for House District 10B.

Radinovich, 25, told the Brainerd Dispatch he would emphasize jobs, education and care for seniors, as well as fixing the state budget.

He works for the American Federation of Government Employees and graduated from Crosby-Ironton High School in 2004. He was an intern for Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, and worked for the state DFL Party. He previously served on the Crow Wing County and the Senate District 4 DFL executive boards.

Senate District 9

senator

Paul Gazelka, Republican, rural Brainerd: Gazelka, R-Brainerd, is the current District 12 state senator. He announced he is seeking re-election in Senate District 9.

Gazelka, 52, currently serves as state senator to almost all of Morrison County and the southern half of Crow Wing County. Senate District 9, per the new redistricting boundaries released by the courts last week, contains Morrison County, Todd County, most of Wadena County and the East Gull Lake and Lake Shore areas of Cass County.

"My family and I have decided to relocate a few miles west of my office in Baxter," Gazelka said in an email. "This move puts me in the new Senate District 9, so I will be seeking re-election in that district. Redistricting has brought about a lot of changes - legislators being paired together and areas that have no current legislator representing them.

"It's important that we move forward to fill all of the districts with great candidates so Minnesotans have the best folks representing them in the Legislature," Gazelka said. "I'll run on my record of fiscal responsibility and strong conservative values and I hope to earn the support of voters in the November election."

House District 9A

representative

Mark Anderson, Republican, Lake Shore: Anderson, a pilot, is the son of former state Sen. Don Anderson of Wadena, who served from 1982-90.

Mark Anderson, 53, founded the former Channel Inn & Granny's Pub on Gull Lake in Lake Shore (now Zorbaz on Gull) at age 23. He also has financial experience as a stock broker from a firm in Edina.

He earned a bachelor's degree in airway science, aircraft systems management at the University of North Dakota-Center for Aerospace Sciences. He became a self-employed contract pilot/instructor and today is a contract pilot, aircraft manager and aviation consultant.

Now Anderson hopes to carry his business understandings, ethics and experiences to the state Legislature. His quest is "to transform Minnesota's laughingstock business image from that of an overregulated, failed bureaucratic disaster to a shining role model of free market simplicity and success, attracting the attention of businesses not only within the region, but also nationally."

Anderson said he doesn't seek to become a full-time, self-serving career politician, but to re-establish the part-time statesmen principles of the country's founding fathers.