Mining near the Boundary Waters is in the political spotlight this month as a pair of political forums take place in Ely. The first took place Wednesday, Sept. 2 on the college campus in Ely. It featured state Sen. Grant Hauschild and Republican challenger Andrea Zupancich, a realtor in the Ely area and the current mayor of nearby Babbitt.

Also participating in the forum was incumbent state Rep. Roger Skraba and DFL challenger Aaron Kania, a former U.S. Forest Service district ranger in Ely.

A separate event featuring candidates running for the Ely City Council will take place next week at the same venue. That event is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10.

In this issue of the podcast, we narrow the complexity of the political landscape near the Boundary Waters, including the local level in Ely.

Featured in this episode are Skraba and Kania, along with Ely City Council candidates Heidi Omerza and Emily Roose. Omerza and Roose are running for mayor this year and are both currently on the council, with Omerza serving as the current mayor of Ely. Also featured in the episode is city council candidate Abby Dare, as well as Ely business owner Sarah Vogl.

This episode is supported by Tex’s Riverways and Borderland Lodge.

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