Senator Heather Gustafson represents Senate District 36 which includes Centerville, Circle Pines, Lino Lakes, North Oaks, Vadnais Heights, and White Bear Lake. She is vice chair of the Education Finance Committee, and serves on the Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee and the Jobs and Economic Development Committee.
Born and raised in Sartell Minnesota, Senator Gustafson attended college at Minnesota State University Moorhead, earning a degree in Mass Communication. After a 14 year career in radio broadcasting, she went back to school to earn her teaching license and a master’s degree in education. She then taught history at Centennial High School in Circle Pines until being elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2022.
In her first session at the Legislature, Senator Gustafson was the chief author of legislation to provide Universal School Meals in Minnesota, providing every student with free breakfast and lunch while saving the average SD 36 district over $1800 per year. She was the chief author of legislation that provided $300 million in statewide public safety aid, and helped deliver social security tax relief for most Minnesota seniors. In the 2024 Legislative Session, Senator Gustafson carried legislation that banned the use of binary triggers and enhanced penalties for illegal straw purchases of firearms.
Senator Gustafson’s legislative priorities are educational success for students, stronger infrastructure, safe communities, and civil and human rights protections. Senator Gustafson, her husband, and her four children live in Vadnais Heights.
