Three incumbent and three challengers are on the ballot in Minot's District 3. Incumbent Republican Sen. Randy Schobinger is challenged by Democrat Robert Horne. Incumbent state House members, Republican Rep. Andy Maragos and Democrat Rep. Kari Conrad are being challenged by Democrat Lisa Wolf and Republican Mary Nestor. Nestor did not respond to the Tribune survey.

Senate

Name: Robert "Bob" Horne

Home:Minot

Age: 68

Occupation: Retired as director of the Minot Division of Verendrye Electric Cooperative.

Political party:Democrat-NPL

Name:Randy Schobinger

Home:Minot

Age: 37

Occupation: Marketing consultant for North Dakota Televison

Political party: Republican

Prior public office held: North Dakota Senate, 1994-present

What is the key issue motivating your campaign?

Horne:Promoting anddeveloping our renewable fuels (ethanol, bio-diesel, wind, wind to hydrogen, etc.) to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help diversify North Dakota ag income. Also, the incumbent senator in my district is out of touch, out of sight and ineffective. I believe a senator should be a leader who gets things done.

Schobinger: Business development - I believe the people of District 3 and North Dakota want a vibrant economy and understand that to achieve that end we must make our state attractive to industry. And that includes removing the barriers that discourage industry from coming to North Dakota. North Dakota has some significant advantages that are not available in other states.

Some of them are: 1. North Dakota's citizens are the most productive in the nation 2. North Dakota has an abundance of power and water readily available and at extremely low rates 3. North Dakota has one of the best K-12 outcomes in the nation 4. North Dakotans maintain solid Christian values 5. North Dakota has the nation's best employee work attendance 6. Crime rates are very low in North Dakota 7. North Dakota is well located geographically to be attractive to new manufacturing industry.

However, we must begin to address our disadvantages if we wish to awaken industry to the great benefits they can find in North Dakota.

There's a proposal for putting more than 60 million new dollars into the budget for the state's public colleges and universities, and, thereby, holding the tuition increase to 5 percent. Do you support this proposal?

Horne:I do support the proposal to put $60 million of new dollars into the budget for the state's public colleges and universities to hold tuition increases to 5 percent. North Dakota university students and their parents have for too long suffered double-digit tuition increases.

Too many students graduate burdened with huge loans, in some cases close to their starting salary. We also need to become more competitive in higher education salaries and address the deferred maintenance problem.

Schobinger: I would support a proposal that mirrors the one described. However, any bill that deviates from it will require further study.

There's also a proposal for putting more than 60 million new dollars into funding for primary and secondary educaiton, in response to a lawsuit over funding equity filed by a number of North Dakota school districts. Do you support this proposal?

Horne:I support putting at least $60 million of new dollars into funding for primary and secondary education. I think the Governor's Committee on Education Reform is moving in the right direction, providing they do not neglect schools like Minot while being overly generous to others. We need both equitable and adequate funding for schools. Also, the state needs to provide a larger percent of funding for public schools, closer to the promised 70 percent, to allow for local property tax reduction.

Schobinger: I would support a proposal that mirrors the one described. However, any bill that deviates from it will require further study.

House

Name: Kari Lee Conrad

Home:Minot

Age:55

Occupation:Social worker

Political party:Democrat-NPL

Prior public offices held: Ward County commissioner, 1992-2000, State House of Representatives, 2004-present

Name: Andrew G. Maragos

Home:Minot

Age: 61

Occupation: Travel agent

Political party: Republican

Prior Public Offices Held:North Dakota House, 1992-present.

Name: Lisa Wolf

Home:

Age: 37

Occupation: High school teacher

Political party: Democrat-NPL

What is the key issue motivating your campaign?

Conrad:I am running for re-election because I want to be part of a North Dakota where everyone has a chance at a better life - educational opportunities, good jobs, affordable child care, health care and housing, and a healthy environment. With new oil tax revenue we can lessen the burden of property taxes, health care, and college costs affecting average families.

Maragos:Education funding.

Wolf:The key issue motivating my campaign is the funding of education in our state. Our schools are producing some of the nation's top students, yet our funding, especially in teacher salaries, is near the bottom in the nation. We are currently partially funding education off the backs of our citizens, whose own budgets are being stretched to the limits. It is time for North Dakota to take some of the burden and to put additional money into education. It is time for action, we have the ability, It is time to act. I want to help ensure that this does occur.

There's a proposal for putting more than 60 million new dollars into the budget for the state's public colleges and universities and, thereby, holding the tuition increase to 5 percent. Do you support this proposal?

Conrad:I support $60 million new dollars for higher education, with $5 million of it in the form of low interest loans to any North Dakota student who has a B average in high school and attends a North Dakota college or university.

To address low grduation rates and work force shortages, I would also like to have the loan converted into scholarship if the recipient graduates with a B average and is employed for two years, full time in North Dakota.

Maragos:Yes.

Wolf:The word is that the governor's current budget proposal appears to delegate $30 million towards higher education, not $60 million.

There is also word that he may up this portion of his budget. I think that he should designate $60 million in this budget towards higher education. This will hopefully keep the tuition increase in the single digit range.

There's a proposal for putting more than 60 million new dollars into funding for primary and secondary education, in response to a lawsuit over funding equity filed by a number of North Dakota school districts. Do you support this proposal?

Conrad:I support $60 million new dollars for elementary and secondary education, if each school district receiving assistance is required ot contribute 185 mills in addition to whatever other income available to it, such as military impact funds, BIA contributions, or severance tax funds.

Since all property is similarly assessed, statewide, I believe all property should be equally taxed, statewide.

Maragos:Yes.

Wolf:I agree that at least $60 million is needed to make funding more equitable.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg, once funding is more equitable, adequacy needs to be addressed.