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Minnesota Government Update


June 4, 2010

Off to the Races
The close of the candidate filing period on June 1 brings about some interesting match ups for the primary on August 10 and the general election on November 2.  Here are the highlights.
Retreads?
A few former members are back in the campaign saddle.
 
  • Former state House Majority Leader Ted Winter is running for the House in District 22A in the southwestern part of the state.  Current incumbent Doug Magnus (R-Slayton) is running for the District 22 Senate seat.  Winter lost the House seat to Magnus in 2002.
  • Former Republican Representative Paul Gazelka is challenging incumbent GOP Senator Paul Koering (R-Fort Ripley) in the primary for the Senate District 12 Senate seat.
  • State Senator Satveer Chaudhary (DFL-Fridley) faces a primary challenge from former DFL Representative Barb Goodwin.  Chaudhary has been reprimanded by a bipartisan Senate ethics committee for “threatening public confidence” when he added language designed to improve the fishing in Fish Lake, a lake on which Chaudhary owns a cabin.  The local DFL Party is holding a meeting soon to discuss revocation of their endorsement of Chaudhary for re-election which will add fuel to the Goodwin primary challenge.
  • Former one term state Senator Sean Nienow is challenging his successor, incumbent Rick Olseen (DFL-Harris), in Senate District 17.
  • In the open Senate District 18 seat vacated by retiring GOP Senator Steve Dille, former House GOP member Scott Newman is running.
  • In a re-match, incumbent state Representative Gail Kulick Jackson (DFL-Milaca) will defend her seat against former GOP state Representative Sondra Erickson.
  • Former House and Senate member Linda Runbeck is running to unseat Representative Paul Gardner (DFL-Shoreview).
East Side Battle
The surprise retirement of state Senator Mee Moua (DFL-St. Paul) has resulted in a plethora of candidates to replace her.  There are 11 candidates running for the Senate District 67 seat which represents the east side of St. Paul.  High profile candidates include outgoing St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington and former Ramsey County Board member Dino Guerin, who resigned from the Board after acknowledging a gambling addiction.  Guerin's run for the Senate seat includes a platform with a major expansion of gambling statewide.
Running Unopposed
The GOP has candidates running in all 201 races while the DFL has candidates in 195 races. Senators Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) and Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove) are running unopposed as are House members freshmen Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck) and Paul Torkelson (R-Nelson Township), two termer Ron Shimanski (R-Silver Lake) and four termer Joe Hoppe (R- Chaska).
Gubernatorial Picks for Lieutenant Governor
  • Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the endorsed DFL candidate, is running with former state Finance Commissioner John Gunyou.
  • Former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton chose state Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon as his running mate to challenge Kelliher and Entenza in the primary.
  • Former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza selected outgoing Channel Nine news anchor Robyne Robinson.
  • State Representative Tom Emmer and Annette Meeks are the endorsed GOP candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.  They face no primary challengers.
  • Endorsed Independence Party candidate Tom Horner chose retiring Association of Minnesota Counties Executive Director Jim Mulder for his ticket. There are three other Independence Party candidates running against Horner in the Primary.
Retirements from the Legislature
There are now 24 retirement from the Legislature.  The newest additions are Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL-Duluth) who is running for Lieutenant Governor and state Representative Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) is now running for the Prettner Solon Senate seat.
For up-to-date information about the Minnesota Legislature, tune into Almanac: At the Capitol. This lively and informative program is aired Wednesdays during the legislative session on Twin Cities Public Television at 7:00 PM on Channel 17 and at 10:00 PM on Channel 2.
 
Almanac: At the Capitol is seen on all public television stations throughout Minnesota and in Fargo. Winthrop & Weinstine is the exclusive law-firm partner and a sponsor of the program.
 
For more information and to see previous broadcasts, check out the Almanac: At the Capitol Web site at http://tpt.org/aatc/.
 
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