Jeff Hayden wins DFLers nod in SD61

State Rep. Jeff Hayden won the DFL primary for Sen. Linda Berglin’s former seat in a six-way race Tuesday. In the DFL-leaning area, that almost assures a cakewalk into office.

“I don’t take anything for granted,” Hayden told the Minnesota Independent, describing his Green Party opponent Farheen Hakeem as a smart, well-spoken campaigner. ”What I hope to do is just really run a sharp, clean, lean campaign and get our message out.”

Hayden earned 57 percent of the vote, with Sadik Warfa in second place with 28 percent, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

If he wins the general election against Green Party, Independence Party and Republican Party competitors, Hayden, who has served as assistant minority leader, hopes to pitch in with the state DFL effort.

“After it’s over, I’m hoping that I’m in a position where I can continue to help our caucus, help the Senate district, and help motivate really good progressive people in this district to fan out across the state in 2012 and help us bring the legislature back,” Hayden said. “Because right now I think it’s been ransacked by the GOP and especially the new Tea Party freshman.”

He’s looking forward to continuing to serve the area—which is both ethnically and economically diverse—following in the footsteps of Sen. Linda Berglin’s progressive legacy, which includes passage of gender pay equity.

“I have really been able to speak for the most vulnerable,” Hayden said, “work with the most vulnerable and actually get those that are doing well to understand about why it’s important to care and think about everyone in Minnesota—not just themselves.”