Former Commissioner Sue Hakes considers run for House of Representatives

Sue Hakes, former Cook County commissioner and mayor of Grand Marais, announced she has formed a congressional exploratory committee to determine the feasibility of running for Congress in the Eighth District of Minnesota. Incumbent Congressman Rick Nolan is considering a run for governor of Minnesota in 2018.
“When I think about Minnesota’s Eighth District, I think people first,” Hakes said. “I want to fight the current administration’s budgetary goals which chip away at—or gut entirely— the very institutions that make rural life possible and the amenities that make rural America a desirable place to live.”
Hakes, who was awarded a Bush Foundation Fellowship in 2014 and studied at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, describes herself as a problem solver.
Hakes said she is guided by Martin Luther King’s words, “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”
Hakes said her passions lie in building a resilient economy, making education a priority, ensuring access to quality affordable health care and protecting the environment.
A lifelong Minnesotan, Hakes has lived in Grand Marais since 1995.  She and her husband, John Gorski, formerly of Eveleth, Minn., work in real estate. 
Hakes served as mayor of Grand Marais in 2009 and 2010, and Cook County commissioner from 2011 through 2014. Prior to being an elected official, she owned and operated Sue Hakes Realty in Grand Marais and worked in business development at Honeywell in Minneapolis.