Eighth District Democratic Congressman Rick Nolan and Republican challenger Stewart Mills squared off over Iron Range jobs and new pipelines in Minnesota during a Monday debate in Duluth. Nolan said everything is not perfect on the jobs front, but is headed in the right direction. Mills fired back, “But people are still getting their pink slips. People are still unemployed.” Nolan replied, “What’s happened at Magnetation… and Essar Steel is something that’s different than what’s happening in the marketplace. That has to do with… the way that they run and manage those companies. All the indications for the future are good.” But Mills said, “The people I talk to are nervous, if they are employed, and people that are unemployed are angry.”
Mills also criticized Nolan’s record on new pipelines in Minnesota during Monday’s debate. Nolan responded, “The oil companies want to go the straightest line between two points. I’m a business guy. I understand that. But as a representative, your obligation is to take the safest route that’s in the best interest of the people who will be affected by that.” Mills responded, “So they re-routed it around the entire state of Minnesota.” Nolan said, “No, no, they re-routed it around some organic farms just south of here.” Some in the audience laughed as Mills fired back, “I’m pretty sure they’re going right around the state of Minnesota. Pretty sure the Sandpiper/Enbridge is not going through Minnesota anymore.”