Heidi Heino

Heidi Heino earned a bachelor's degree in soil sciences from Colorado State University in 1997. She went on to earn master's degrees in exercise science and business administration from Concordia University of Saint Paul in 2017 and 2023, respectively. Her career experience includes working as a director of business development.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a corporate business leader, entrepreneur, and most importantly, a mother and grandmother. After watching our state take a downturn, my husband and I decided we couldn't just sit back and hope someone else would fix it. So I chose to step forward to do something about it.

For over a decade, I have been solving complex problems, leading partnership negotiations, and managing the day-to-day needs of my department. I want to bring that same practical, solutions-first approach to St. Paul, where too many leaders address what's loud instead of fixing what's actually broken.

My priorities are grounded in common sense: real accountability from those we elect, affordability for working families squeezed by rising costs, and a government Minnesotans can trust again. Leading from a place of what is best for our state's residents, we can rebuild Minnesota into the great North Star State it was always meant to be.

I am not running for today's applause, but for tomorrow's impact, to better the lives of our children and grandchildren. That is the reason I am willing to shift my focus from the corporate world to the success of this state, and it is what will guide my decision-making in office.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Minnesotans work hard to earn a living, and after scandals like Feeding Our Future, they deserve to know it isn't being lost in St. Paul to fraud, waste, or abuse. I will fight for real accountability and transparency, so taxpayer money goes to the people it was meant to serve, not to those who game the system. I have a plan called the Minnesota Integrity in Government Act. If you take taxpayer money, you must be accountable to taxpayers.The education of our children is one of government's most important responsibilities, yet too often our schools are held back by excessive testing and rigid mandates. I will work to trust teachers as professionals, reduce the time lost to standardized testing, and give students more hands-on, active learning that keeps them healthy and engaged. Classrooms should be places of learning, not political battlegrounds, focused on strong academics and critical thinking rather than ideology, with parents as full partners. I will also expand apprenticeships and career-pathway programs with local businesses and the skilled trades, so every student has a real path to success without drowning in debt.Lowering the cost of living starts with common-sense government. Families across Minnesota are feeling the strain of rising housing costs, property taxes, energy prices, and healthcare. I will work to cut unnecessary and duplicative regulations that drive up everyday expenses, keep taxes reasonable and predictable for families and small businesses, and demand that government spending be efficient, transparent, and accountable. Seniors on fixed incomes should not be taxed out of homes they have already paid for, and our tax system should make it easier for businesses to invest, grow, and create jobs here. By reviewing every policy through the lens of affordability, we can help families keep more of what they earn.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about the well-being of the people at both ends of life: our seniors and our children. Our seniors built this state, and we owe it to them to care for them well and make sure they are never taxed out of the homes they have already paid for. For our young people, I want an education that teaches them how to think, not what to think, with more movement, hands-on learning, and less screen time so they grow up healthy in body and mind. I am also passionate about rooting out fraud so taxpayer dollars serve the people they were meant to, and about clean, affordable, reliable energy, including nuclear, so Minnesota families can power their lives without breaking the budget.