Gazelka mulls 2022 run for Minnesota governor Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, says he's ready and capable of making a run for governor, but the question is: Should he? Written By: Gabriel D. Lagarde | 12:00 am, Jul. 2, 2021 × State Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, smiles Thursday, July 1, 2021, after returning to Brainerd after the special legislative session. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, is mulling a run for governor during the 2022 midterms, a high-stakes race that could be shaped by powerful forces, both past and present. And, if he were to win, it would mark a comeback for a party that’s failed to win statewide seats in more than a decade. Judging by recent history, the Republicans’ track record in statewide elections in Minnesota haven’t been confidence-building, to say the least.