Tom Rukavina Passes Away After Battle With Cancer

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County Commissioner and former State Representative Tom Rukavina has passed away at the age of 68.

According to MPR News, Rukavina had been battling leukemia and died Monday morning.

DFL Chairman Ken Martin and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statements Monday afternoon:

DFL Chairman Ken Martin  statement:

“I’m terribly saddened to learn about the passing of my friend, former State Representative Tom Rukavina. As a longtime representative in the Minnesota Legislature, Tom was a bulldog for, not only his constituents on the Iron Range, but all of the working men and women in Minnesota. Tom Rukavina was known for his honesty, his authenticity, and his advocacy for those trying to build a better life for their families. Today Minnesota lost a one-of-a-kind individual who left a deep impression on everyone who knew him. My thoughts and best wishes are with his entire family.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar statement:

 “Minnesota and the Iron Range have lost a true champion for workers. Tom Rukavina understood the dignity of hard work, and was a force for Iron Range workers and their families. He spent nearly three decades in elected office on the Range fighting for miners and bringing good-paying union jobs to the region. As Tom would tell it, he was for the little fellers, not the Rockefellers—a tribute to his friend and the late Senator Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash on his way to attend a funeral for Tom’s father, Bennie. Tom also taught his children the value of service. His daughter, Ida, leads my Northern Minnesota office and shares her father’s strength and tenacity. My prayers are with Ida and the entire Rukavina family today.”

Rukavina served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 26 years on the DFL side.