About Jason Heaser
I grew up in Minneiska, a small town outside of Winona. It had two bars and a church. The church has since closed but the bars are doing fine. Growing up in a small town taught me the value of hard work and community. The town helped build my family home, and I will never forget helping my Dad dig out his basement woodworking shop one 5-gallon bucket at a time: 3,997 buckets. He marked each one.
I joined the Army Reserve as a mechanic at 17. After learning the seven core values of the Army: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal courage, I transferred to active duty. I was proud to represent and embody these principles.
I was deployed in Kuwait when the world changed on 9/11/2001 due to the horrific attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. My Army unit was the most forward-facing United States installation at the time. I remember the eerie stillness of not knowing what might happen to our unit or to our country because of the attack. I came back to a country deeply hurt but healing, finding ways to progress together in community. Just as we need to now.
Soon after my return, I was awarded an ROTC scholarship and attended Kansas State University to become a military officer. After graduation, I went to the University of Notre Dame Law School and rejoined the Army in 2010 as a Judge Advocate.
In 2012, I was deployed again. This time to Afghanistan as a JAG tasked with investigating and prosecuting allegations of detainee abuse at Bagram Airfield. The young soldiers I worked with in Afghanistan exhibited the utmost professionalism. Even far away from home, under incredible stress, we treated foreign detainees humanely and professionally. What I experienced at Bagram Airfield is a testament to the capabilities of federal law enforcement when given effective training and leadership.
After my time in Afghanistan, I returned to Minnesota. I left active duty but remained in the Army Reserve. I joined the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in 2016 as a criminal prosector. I secured justice for victims of domestic assaults, sexual assaults, and homicides. In seven years, I tried more than 30 cases, and I saw firsthand both the success of our criminal justice system but also the unfortunate failures.
In 2023, I moved to the Attorney General’s Office as a felony prosecutor. I now serve Minnesotans across our great State by prosecuting homicide, CSAM, and complex sexual assault cases. I also teach law enforcement and other attorneys how to effectively investigate and prosecute digital crimes against children.
Late last year, I finally fully retired from the Army after more than 20 years. The Army showed me the strength of diversity both in people and in thought. While each unit has a commander, no unit is a monolith. It takes direction, understanding, and effort to accomplish every mission. I look forward to using all of my experiences to protect, provide, and progress Minnesota values as a Representative of 34A.
FAMILY LIFE:
My family is the joy in my life. My spouse, Leah Erickson, is also a criminal prosecutor with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. She is a brilliant attorney who often humbles me by the quickness of her mind. Together, we have a blended family of three wonderful children. Flora, 11, is a soccer phenom. She will take on anyone so long as she is playing against the best of the best. Jenna, 12, is happiest on the stage and surrounded by our four dogs. Her zest for life is infectious. Joseph, 13, can talk through the features and background of almost any car ever produced. If you’re in the market, he’s your expert.
And while I may not have fully appreciated it at the time, my parents were exceptional role models for my journey into parenthood. My Dad worked for the Minnesota DNR for over forty years. He signed up for the union as soon as he qualified. In 2001, his union went on strike while I was deployed to Kuwait. My Ma, younger brother, and Dad felt a lot of uncertainty during that time, but the union negotiated better pay and health insurance. My family’s financial security and healthcare cost steadied, and my brother was able to complete his training to become an over-the-road truck driver. Dad retired in 2016 and now keeps busy attempting to eradicate buckthorn off the Minneiska bluffs and completing handyman projects for the community.
Ma didn’t have union protections. She worked the production line in a factory for years and was so proud when she was finally promoted to the front office. I still remember the smile on her face. Unfortunately, shortly after, the factory closed due to corporate consolidation, and Ma trained some poor soul in North Carolina to do two jobs. It was heartbreaking because Ma loved her job. For a while, she did odd jobs in the area before finding employment at the hospital in Wabasha, where she attempted to hold insurance companies accountable to pay their fair share. Not an easy task.
My younger brother is still a truck driver. He now hauls milk across Minnesota and Wisconsin. My sister-in-law works at the Eagle Center in Wabasha, and they have two young children in public school.
My in-laws are both retired. My mother-in-law worked as an Anoka-Hennepin school teacher for almost 30 years, and my father-in-law worked in the defense industry. He also retired from the Navy Reserve as a Captain after 30 years. Army-Navy football games are always interesting in our household.
I will fight to ensure that every family in Minnesota is able to feel secure in their homes, community, and livelihood.