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Hoffman announces state Senate run

Published 4:16pm Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A Vergas nurse and businesswoman has announced her candidacy for Minnesota’s District 10 Senate seat.

Gretchen Hoffman, 52, is a Republican candidate running for the seat currently held by Sen. Dan Skogen (D-Hewitt). Hoffman kicked off her campaign Wednesday, saying she is excited for the months leading up to the 2010 election.

A Fargo native, Hoffman moved to Otter Tail County after marrying her husband, Virgil, in the early 1980s. She worked as a nurse for nearly two decades, most recently in cardiac intensive care at Perham Memorial Hospital. Hoffman owned Yarn Renaissance, a Fargo shop, from 1999 to 2007. She is also an owner of Fargo-based GPK Products, Inc., a PVC fittings business her father began 35 years ago.

Now a full-time candidate, Hoffman says she is not a politician, but a concerned citizen.

“I don’t need to spin things,” she said. “I tell you where I stand.”

One of Hoffman’s concerns is Minnesota’s business climate, which she calls one of the least friendly nationwide. She said she would like to see more businesses settling in Minnesota and fewer jobs going out of state.

Additional priorities: responsible taxation and budgeting policies; fair education funding for rural schools; and patient-centered health care reform that preserves patient choice, increases competition among providers and allows full deductibility of out-of-pocket health care costs.

In general, Hoffman favors limited government with fewer restrictions on how Minnesotans live their day-to-day lives.

“I understand people and I understand that most people know what’s best for them,” she said, adding, “You almost need a law degree to get out of bed in the morning.”

Hoffman said she is prepared to advocate for constituents as she did her hospital patients. She’s already spent considerable time talking with district residents since filing as a candidate in August.

Hoffman and her husband have three sons, 26-year-old twins and a 23-year-old.

Skogen said this week he is still deciding whether or not he will run in 2010. The course of next year’s legislative session will be a factor in his decision.

“I certainly am considering it at this time,” he said.