Rich Tru, a Two Harbors resident and emergency room Health Unit Coordinator, announced that he is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 3B and will seek the DFL endorsement ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Tru, 34, formally launches his campaign following a soft launch in November and months of focused conversations with neighbors across the district about the rising cost of living, infrastructure, healthcare, education, and how to protect Minnesotans.
“It’s been normalized, the stress, the debt, the uneasiness, as if it’s always been like this and forever will be,” Tru said. “It’s time to fight back for our share of the country we helped build.”
At the center of Tru’s campaign is what he calls a Lake Country Lifestyle. The basic expectation that people who live and work on the North Shore should be able to afford housing, access healthcare, raise families, and build stability without constant financial fear. Tru says too many families are being squeezed by a cost-of-living spiral that policymakers have failed to confront with urgency or accountability.
He points to families who recently lost employer health coverage and are now facing sharply higher premiums while struggling to keep up with a mortgage. “Parents are stressed, one child needs ongoing medication, another is falling behind in school, and everything feels fragile,” Tru said. “That kind of pressure breaks people down, and it’s happening everywhere.”
Tru says Minnesota’s economy should be built around the success of local businesses and the innovation of entrepreneurs, not corporate consolidation or private equity control of essential community systems. He argues that economic policy must move beyond one-sided solutions and focus on helping people stay rooted in the places they call home.
Drawing on his professional experience, Tru is prioritizing state-level healthcare reforms that can deliver immediate relief. His focus includes expanding access to urgent care in rural communities, strengthening protections around medical debt collections, pushing back against insurance practices that delay effective care, and expanding digital specialty services for clinics, hospitals, and children’s mental health through discreet visual telehealth options in schools.
“We don’t get to wait for permission or hide behind federal excuses,” Tru said. “The legislature has tools right now to reduce harm, and it’s time to use them.”
Tru previously ran for state office in a neighboring district. He says this campaign reflects a commitment to working within the DFL while maintaining the independent, progressive approach Minnesotans have come to respect and count on.
“This district is competitive because too many people feel ignored or misled,” Tru said. “I aim to change that. I’m running to be a representative who listens, does the work, and fights for a future that works for everyone.”
More information about the campaign will be available at www.RichTruMN.com.
Campaign Fund for Rich Tru Email: contact@richtrumn.com Phone: 323-703-6730
