Senate candidate accuses DFL of smear campaign after claims she broke campaign finance laws
Republican candidate in Senate District 6 special election, Keri Heintzeman.
(FOX 9) - The Minnesota DFL has accused Republican candidate Keri Heintzeman in the race to replace former Sen. Justin Eichorn of breaking campaign finance laws. However, her campaign and the Campaign Finance Board say she adhered to the law, and her campaign accuses the DFL of a smear campaign days before the special election for Senate District 6.
Heintzeman accused of breaking campaign finance laws
What they're saying:
The DFL is accusing Keri Heintzeman of breaking campaign finance laws by reportedly accepting more than $1,000 per donor.
"It’s no surprise that someone who was at the Capitol on January 6 doesn’t respect Minnesota’s election laws," said Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom regarding the complaint. "Keri Heintzeman broke the law to advance her campaign and has no business serving in the Legislature."
Heintzeman accepted donations from nine separate donors for $2,000. Minnesota state law states that state senators cannot accept donations of more than $1,000 per donor. But, Heintzeman's Campaign says based on the dates of the contributions, no laws were broken.
FOX 9 has reached out again to the DFL Party to get a statement based on the information obtained from the Heintzeman and the Campaign Finance Board.
Why you should care:
Documents filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board show nine individuals who donated $1,000 to Heintzeman and then another $1,000 at a later date for the special election, which is legal.
"Keri preemptively reached out to the campaign finance board to ensure her campaign was adhering to the law. All nine original $1,000 donations in question were received between March 22 and March 24, before the governor’s writ of special election was issued on March 25. As stated in the CFB email guidance ... ‘The special election time frame is a carve out of the regular 2025-2026 election cycle,’ and the initial donations were collected during the 2025 general election cycle — not the 2025 Special Election cycle," the Campaign Finance Board told FOX 9.
Andrew Olson, legal/management analyst with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, also told FOX 9 the above information about the timing of the donations clears Heintzeman of "any question of wrongdoing."
Dig deeper:
Heintzeman provided FOX 9 with the following statement regarding the complaint:
"This is a baseless effort to smear Keri’s reputation just before the election. The accusation lacks merit, and her campaign adheres strictly to the highest ethical standards."
Heintzeman reached out to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board about donor limits prior to receiving the donations, her campaign said.
Heintzeman wins primary for Senate District 6 special election
MN Senate District 6 results are in
We now know the two candidates who will face off in the special election for Minnesota Senate District 6, which covers Brainerd and areas to the north of the city stretching to Grand Rapids.
Local perspective:
Heintzeman defeated seven other candidates, earning 46.7% of the vote, to earn the GOP nomination. Denise Slipy was the only DFL candidate running and will represent the party.
Heintzeman is the wife of Rep. Josh Heintzeman, the Minnesota House representative for the Brainerd area. Heintzeman previously worked as a district director for the Trump 2024 campaign and owns a recreational rental business in Nisswa.
The special election for Senate District 6 will be held on April 29.
The backstory:
MN Sen. Eichorn arrest: Candidates seek to replace him in Senate
Jennifer Carnahan is the latest candidate to announce her plans to run for former Minnesota Sen. Justin Eichorn's seat after he resigned following an arrest in a minor sex sting operation in Bloomington. Carnahan, who is currently the mayor of Nisswa, served as the chairwoman of the Minnesota GOP. She stepped down after Anton Lazarro was federally charged with child sex trafficking. She had close ties to Lazarro. After he announcement, the Minnesota DFL party released a statement, ""It's disgraceful that the Minnesota GOP might replace a Senator who resigned after a child prostitution arrest with a former Minnesota GOP Chair who resigned because of her ties with a child sex trafficker."
The special election comes after the seat was left vacant by Eichorn, who resigned after he was reportedly caught up in a prostitution sting.
Police say Eichorn attempted to solicit a teen girl for sex but was really texting with an undercover police officer in Bloomington. He was arrested when he allegedly showed up to meet with the girl and is now facing federal charges in the case. He resigned days after his arrest.
READ MORE: MN Senate District 6 primary results: Who will run for Sen. Eichorn seat?
The Source: This report was written from a press release from the DFL, the Minnesota Legislature, the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board and past FOX 9 reporting.