Horner, a public-relations executive with long experience in Republican politics, tells the Minnesota Independent he’s parting ways with the GOP on good terms.

“I’m not leaving the Republican Party in protest or under a cloud,” Horner says, citing his membership in the party’s “more moderate” wing since he began work for U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger in the 1970s.

But gridlock has soured Horner on two-party politics in St. Paul. “Whichever party has the governor’s office, the other party isn’t going to let that governor succeed,” he says.

Ventura got around that by seeking good ideas and good people from across the political spectrum, Horner says, for a “pretty successful” first half of his term. Only when Ventura become disengaged partway through his term did the legislature ditch him.

That’s where Horner reckons he has something on Ventura: his 30 years of experience in public policy and party politics, along with an inclination to stay engaged with citizens.

As for his campaign, he says it will start low-key and won’t feature a pox-from-both-their-houses critique of the two other major parties, as is sometimes heard from IP candidates. Minnesotans who know him from his political commentary on Minnesota Public Radio wouldn’t buy it, he says.

“For me to come out and say all parties are bad would be ludicrous,” says Horner.

Growing field, coming battle

With the entrance of Horner and former Republican party activist Joe Repya this week, the Independence Party’s field of gubernatorial candidates grew to five, and Tim Penny figures it may keep growing. Penny, the party’s 2002 endorsee for governor, says at least two others are still in the wings.

“It may be that for the first time we have a real endorsement battle,” said Penny, who as a Democrat served six years in the state Senate and six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. ”There are more people of my stature that are beginning to conclude that the two parties have failed us.”

Those already vying to run as Independent Party candidate for governor include party chair Jack John Uldrich and lesser-known candidates Rob Hahn and Rahn Workcuff.

Horner had publicly floated the possibility of a run and party switch for weeks, while Repya had been talking behind the scenes about a possible IP run for months, said Penny.

But Penny said at least two other people (who he wouldn’t name) have talked to him about running for governor under the Independence Party banner.

Penny said he would probably endorse someone in the race before the party’s endorsing convention, which isn’t officially set yet but is likely to be May 8, according to an IP spokesperson. (The IP will hold an interactive online caucus throughout the month of February.)

Talking about Horner and Repya, Penny said, “I’m intrigued by a candidate with some roots in the Republican Party” — in part because he and Peter Hutchinson, the IP’s 2006 endorsed candidate for governor, both came from Democratic Party backgrounds. Hutchinson drew only 6 percent of the vote, less than Penny’s

Last election, when Anderson ran as an unendorsed IP candidate, the party endorsed Elwyn Tinklenberg, who was already the DFL’s endorsed candidate. Rep. Michele Bachmann squeaked out a win, with a margin of victory of just 3 percent. Anderson garnered 10 percent of the vote.

“I don’t want to get involved in that again,” he told the Minnesota Independent in July, adding that he’d only consider running if he could vie for the party endorsement. “I want the party’s support. I don’t want ‘anti’ support.”

After Saturday’s State Party Convention in Brooklyn Park, the party decided to remove that obstacle for candidates like Anderson. It voted to stop cross-endorsing.

“Our delegates feel that offering endorsement support to candidates of the parties that brought us this systemic mess diluted our message,” Jack Uldrich, party chair, in a press release. “If other political candidates want our endorsement, they are welcome to have it but they are going to have to leave their current party to get it.”

The party also voted to keep its ban on PAC money, a move that together with ditching cross-endorsement “clarif[ies] and amplif[ies] the fact that the Independence Party is the only true reform party,” according to Uldrich.

It doesn’t clarify Anderson’s involvement in the 2010 race to unseat Bachmann, however. In an email he says he’s “encouraged by these decisions,” but he hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll run again.

He does see opportunity, though. With cross-endorsement gone, the landscape has shifted. Candidate Maureen Reed was seeking both the DFL and IP endorsements, but many pundits think DFLer Tarryl Clark is likely to get that party’s endorsement. (Clark recently got support from Sen. Al Franken, who penned a fundraising letter on her behalf.)

If that happens, Anderson, who sees Reed as more moderate than Clark, thinks he’s got a shot, should he get the IP’s nod. “I see a wide open middle if Clark defeats Reed,” Anderson said via email. “I feel Clark is too far to the left to win in the 6th District.”

There’s one scenario that could do in Anderson’s plans should he opt to run: Reed signing back on with the Independence Party and trying for anointment by the party. She ran as the party’s choice for lieutenant governor’s office in 2006.

(Images: NationalAtlas.gov, Bob Anderson)

Things are heating up in the race to unseat 6th District Rep. Michele Bachmann: Democrat Maureen Reed raised $230,000 in the two months following her announcement to run; past Bachmann challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg says he’ll be in the Democratic primary whether he gets the DFL nod or not; and state Sen. Tarryl Clark is expected to announce her candidacy soon. A new twist: Third-party candidate Bob Anderson — who garnered 10 percent of the vote in the 2008 election — is seriously considering running again.

Last time Anderson ran as an unendorsed Independence Party (IP) candidate; Tinklenberg was cross-endorsed by the DFL and the IP. This time, Anderson says he wants just one endorsement — the IP’s. Coinciding with the IP’s executive committee meeting last weekend, he sent a letter to the party indicating his interest in running. He wouldn’t share the letter, but said his first post on his new campaign blog, launched Sunday, sums it up. He writes that candidates should focus on just one party: “I feel if you need the endorsement of two parties you are not the strongest candidate.”

In an interview with the Minnesota Independent on Thursday, Anderson said he learned a lot during the last campaign and will leverage that experience this time around. But it all hinges on whether the IP will cross-endorse.

“I don’t want to get involved in that again,” he said. “I want the party’s support — I don’t want ‘anti’ support.” Later he said he doesn’t think cross-endorsement helped “anybody,” adding with a chuckle, “It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. ”

The endorsement question

Don’t expect a definitive decision from Anderson soon. He’s waiting for the results of the Independence Party’s October 10 Central Committee Meeting, when the body will vote on whether to continue cross-endorsing.

Party chair Jack Uldrich was hesitant to guess about the outcome of that meeting, but he says he’s heard strong opinions on both sides.

“My personal feeling is it’s going to be a very close vote,” he told the Minnesota Independent. “A lot of people in ’08 were disappointed with how cross-endorsement worked.”

He said there are pros and cons to the practice: On one hand, cross-endorsement improves the odds of a candidate with a platform similar to the IP’s getting elected (although Minnesota law prohibits more than one party affiliation being listed on ballots). On the other, cross-endorsement dilutes the party brand, as Uldrich puts it. “The public might say, ‘Well, what does this party stand for?’”

Uldrich implied that Anderson’s chances of getting the endorsement are much better this time around. “The fact that he’s reaching out earlier will work in his favor,” Uldrich said. “Against him is that El Tinklenberg or Maureen Reed will seek the party’s cross-endorsement, too.”

But of Anderson, who addressed the 2008 IP convention, he added, “He’ll be received warmly by the party. Whether that’s enough to garner the endorsement is impossible for me to say.”

The Democratic Party likely wouldn’t welcome an Anderson candidacy, given his take of the vote last time around. But when asked about Anderson’s potential run or the party’s thoughts about cross-endorsement or whether Anderson was a “spoiler” in 2008, Gabby Adler, Midwestern press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), dodged the question.

“Minnesotans are looking for a Representative who reflects their values and will fight to protect jobs, reduce home foreclosures, and promote local economic growth,” she wrote in an email. “We are excited to work with whoever emerges as the DFL nominee next year as they reach out to Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike to build a winning base of support.”

Spoiler?

Anderson calls himself a “right leaning centrist” running in the “most conservative district in the state.” But some call him “spoiler.”

He took 10 percent of the vote in a 2008 election that was decided by a mere 3-percent margin of victory.

“I know I created a lot of stir. I know a lot of the bloggers have been against me, because they think I cost the election,” he said. But he believes he took more votes from Bachmann than Tinklenberg, since he runs as a conservative.

Anderson sees himself as a legitimate alternative to Bachmann and didn’t hesitate to criticize her over, among other issues, the congresswoman’s failure to support the Mental Health Parity bill and her practice of holding mid-day teleconference calls that she bills as town hall meetings. Plus, he calls out media appearances where Bachmann suggested President Obama had “anti-American views” and announced her refusal to fill out the full U.S. Census.

“I think she’d be much better off concentrating on the district,” he said. “She’s got the ability to draw all that news coverage. Why doesn’t she do something less divisive?”

He added, “She’s kind of embarrasing the district. She’s a smart gal and attractive, but she’s got a lot of negatives. She’s got a really strong base, but believe me I hear more people talking negative about her than positive.”

Aubrey Immelman

Aubrey Immelman, a St. John’s University political science professor who ran as a Republican against Bachmann in the 2008 primary, wrote in an email that it’s “empirically unverifiable” whether Anderson lost the election for the Democratic candidate.

He cites numbers he crunched on his website in May that he believes show the primary election results “predicted the outcome” of the general election. In the primary, Tinklenberg won 43.1 percent of the vote, a fraction of a percent less than he got on election day (43.4 percent). Bachmann went from a 47.2 percent share in the primary to 46.4 percent on Nov. 4, whereas Anderson went from a 2 percent share in the primary to 10 percent on election day.

Whether Immelman will join Anderson in the race and challenge Bachmann for the GOP nomination is also up in the air.

“I have not yet decided,” he said. “I’m encountering significant hostility to my open primary strategy — not from Republicans, but from partisan Democrats.”

He cites commenters on liberal blogs, as well as a post by Dave Mindeman at mnpACT, who called Immelman’s primary bid “election trickery” and “foolishness”: “Really, Mr. Immelman — if all you have to recommend you for the 6th District is that you are not Michele Bachmann, then spare us the typeface.”

Whether a vote for Anderson constitutes supporting a “spoiler,” the IP’s Uldrich gave his solution, then his opinion. The Independent Party supports instant-runoff voting (IRV), which allows voters to rank their voting preferences. (Democrats support IRV in their plank, he said, while Republicans oppose it).

“Whenever a voter votes his or her conscience it’s never a wasted vote,” Uldrich said. “That says quite a bit about the caliber of candidates the Republicans and Democrats are putting up.”

The most obvious dark-horse challenger is the Independence Party. Ever since Jesse Ventura blew up the political conventional wisdom by winning the gubernatorial contest in 1998, the IP has been a formidable factor every four years.

Former U.S. Rep Tim Penny

In 2002, former U.S. Rep. Tim Penny brought broad name recognition and moderate policy credentials to the contest. He ultimately pulled just 16 percent of the vote, but was likely hurt by heightened partisanship in the wake of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone’s death.

“The final week of that campaign everything changed,” recalls Penny, now president of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. “I went from being as likely a victor as the other two to being the odd man out in just a number of days.”

Four years later the IP endorsed Peter Hutchinson, a former state finance commissioner, foundation executive and deputy mayor of Minneapolis. But his broad resume didn’t ultimately hold much sway with voters: He managed just six percent of the vote.

Despite these declining fortunes, the IP has retained its major party status, meaning it’s guaranteed a spot on the ballot. So who else might be looking at the party’s endorsement for 2010?

Penny says he’s not interested, noting that foundation work and other endeavors keep him plenty busy. But he’s optimistic that the IP will run a credible candidate.

“Every year there’s a path for an independent candidate to get from the starting gate to the winner’s circle,” he says. “I think there’s a path this year given the fact that it’s going to be wide open.”

Another perennial contender, Dean Barkley (pictured), isn’t ruling anything out. Outside of Ventura, Barkley has been the most visible face of the IP over the last two decades. Most recently, he siphoned off 15 percent of the vote in the (still ongoing) U.S. Senate bloodbath between Norm Coleman and Al Franken.

“I have some mild interest in it,” Barkley says. “I wouldn’t call it a great deal of interest, but I’m at least looking at it.”

In other words: Barkley will fall on his sword and run again if no other credible candidate emerges. The IP is currently in the process of gauging interest among other potential challengers.

Rep. Jim Ramstad. Photo: Lauren Victoria Burke, WDCpix

Heading up that effort is Jack Uldrich, the party’s chairman. Among the folks he’s contacted about the contest: former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad (pictured), Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell and Minnesota Chamber of Commerce President David Olson. Uldrich argues that the decision of Gov. Tim Pawlenty not to seek a third term provides an opportunity for the IP to become a larger factor in the contest.

“He was difficult for both Peter Hutchinson and Tim Penny to run against because he appears more moderate than he actually is,” Uldrich says. “That will make it easier for us.

Uldrich further argues that the potential of wealthy Democratic candidates (i.e. Mark Dayton and Matt Entenza) to bypass the endorsement process and run in a contested primary could provide a further opening for third-party candidates. “They’re going to have really a bloodbath on that side,” he says. “They’re going to go to a primary and they’re going to come out of that pretty weak.”

While the IP is almost certain to be a factor in the 2010 gubernatorial contest, other third parties will have to scrap mightily for any electoral clout. The Green Party of Minnesota previously was accorded major party status, but lost that pedigree after failing to garner five percent of the vote in any of the statewide contests in 2006. Even with guaranteed ballot access the Greens have never won more than two percent of the vote in a governor’s race.

According to Cam Gordon, a Minneapolis City Council member and Green Party activist, the party has formed a committee to explore options for 2010. But so far no candidates have indicated that they’ll be seeking the party’s endorsement and the Greens are likely to focus on local contests.

“I’m feeling somewhat hopeful,” says Gordon of the party’s overall prospects in 2010. “But I think it’s been a hard time for the Greens the last few years. It will really be a turning point for us if we can get somebody elected to the state House.”

At least one candidate will be running as a Green — but has no intention of seeking the party’s official backing. Richard Klatte says he grew tired of the party’s disorganization and lack of candidate recruitment strategies.

“I’ve gone to the meetings and they’ve totally ignored me and my ideas,” says Klatte, who hosts a cable-access program called Third Party Forum and has made unsuccessful runs for office several times previously. “It’s a waste of time.”

Further undermining the Green Party’s prospects are the plans of Ken Pentel (pictured). The environmental activist was the party’s official nominee in both 2002 and 2006. But Pentel has split ties with the Greens and is in the early stages of building his own political organization called the Ecology Democracy Network.

Pentel has been traveling the state by bicycle and recruiting supporters for the fledgling coalition, with roughly 150 people currently in the fold. The organization will advocate for radical changes to economic, agricultural and electoral policies in order to avert what he believes is looming environmental devastation.

“There is no political party, there is no political movement that is literally dealing with this,” he says. “Everybody’s scared. We sit around on our hands rationalizing it.”

Pentel expects to develop a political party sometime this fall and hopes to have 100 candidates running in the 2010 elections, with himself at the top of the ticket. The break with the Greens comes after mounting frustration at the party’s lack of electoral success.

“The people who got into the decision-making positions were not that interested in building a political party to power,” argues Pentel. “They didn’t want to develop candidates, recruit candidate and get on the ballot line.”

While Pentel’s political organization is still in its embryonic stages, at least one 2010 hopeful is eschewing party politics all together. Chris Wright registered with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board in December to run for governor. He’s a computer technician and former activist with the (now defunct) Grassroots Party, which focused primarily on marijuana legalization.

“What I really wanted to do is raise some issues that are simply not being raised by either of the two major parties,” says Wright, citing energy independence and drug legalization. “The only ones who make money on the prohibition of narcotics are the cops and the gangs. Let’s stop doing this.”

Of course, Wright will undoubtedly find it extremely difficult to get these opinions heard without the backing of a political party — major or minor. His previous run for Governor, in 1998, doesn’t inspire confidence in his prospects: he garnered 1,727 votes, or .1 percent of all votes cast.

Image: Minnesota Independent

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s recently announced plans to axe state refunds for political contributions of $50 or less has set off an email stampede, as candidates urge donors to give before the program dies July 1.

In the $2.7 billion of unallotments he unveiled on Tuesday, Pawlenty included a complete cutoff of $10 million in state funding for the cash-back campaign donation program. The program has no official name in state law, but the state Department of Revenue calls it the Political Contribution Refund Program.

Republicans get more money through the program than their rivals, but Pawlenty still dissed it as welfare for politicians. On his WCCO-AM radio program this morning Pawlenty allowed, “It’s a nice program,” but he said it was a lower priority than schools and health care.

A growing number of candidates and both other major parties have jumped on the short-notice deadline to make pitches via the Internet for refundable donations. (UPDATE: Republicans, remarkably, have joined them.)

In a Web solicitation, Independence Party Chair Jack Uldrich characterized the cut as hacking off the IP’s arm.

Democrats have used less vivid imagery but are communicating urgency all the same, with email subject lines like “Time is running out,” “Just 14 days to  get your refund” and “Campaign Alert!”

In particular, those aiming to replace Pawlenty made sure to whack him as they made their appeals for fast cash. Here’s former State Sen. Steve Kelley:

By cutting off the Political Contribution Refund Program, Tim Pawlenty is impacting your voice in the governor’s race.  Over 90,000 Minnesotans use the PCR program annually to make a refundable contribution to the candidate of their choice. … Before the program expires, make a refundable $50 contribution (or $100 for couples) to a Governor who will put education first!

Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner was even more pointed in her email plea:

In addition to making cuts that will disproportionately affect the poor, children and the elderly, the Governor also proposed eliminating a program that helps ordinary Minnesotans participate financially in the campaigns of their choice. … While Tim Pawlenty and other Republicans can afford to run their campaigns with large donations from PACs and wealthy individuals, we would prefer to run ours with money donated from all levels of givers.

Gaertner had a ready metaphor for donors unfamiliar with the soon-to-be-eliminated program:  ”Think of your contribution as a temporary loan to the campaign.”

State Auditor Rebecca Otto, also a DFLer, curiously made a pitch for donations of as little as $5 rather than the maximum refundable amount of $50: “Can you afford to support my work with a monthly donation of $5, $10 or $15?” her email asked.

Gary Goldsmith, executive director of the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, told the Minnesota Independent that his department doesn’t recognize pledges or plans as “contributions” under the refund program. He said donors or candidates with questions about the program’s phase-out should consult online memos from the campaign-finance board (pdf) and the Department of Revenue (pdf).

Pawlenty told his radio audience today that he’s heard more guff from legislators on the donation-refund program than any other unallotment item. Maybe that’s because it’s the one they can still do something about.

Here are some samples of appeals from candidates and parties, including those mentioned above plus state Rep. Paul Thissen and state Sen. John Marty (both gubernatorial candidates), and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. Click on an image to enlarge. If you have seen or received other similar communications from candidates, please forward them to MnIndy.

Susan Gaertner

Steve Kelley

John Marty

Rebecca Otto

Mark Ritchie

Paul Thissen

Independence Party

DFL Party

IP Chair Jack Ulrich

Last used as a metaphor for Norm Coleman’s dwindling odds at winning back his old U.S. Senate seat, Monty Python’s Black Knight is again being conjured as a political metaphor — this time by the Independence Party, which likens itself to the tenacious fighter who, despite getting all his limbs lopped off by King Arthur, fights on.

In an email to supporters, party chair Jack Uldrich lamented Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s announcement that he’d be eliminating the Political Contribution Refund on July 1 as part of his budget-cutting measures. Like the Black Knight, the IP has faced setbacks (but not severed arms and legs), yet continues “fighting as though nothing has changed.” Uldrich writes:

On principle, the Independence Party of Minnesota has always agreed to fight its Republican and DFL opponents with one arm tied behind its back because of our refusal to accept and be influenced by special interest and lobbyist money.  Now the Governor is slicing off our other arm by eliminating the PCR program which rebates political contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $50 for individuals ($100 per couple).

Like the noble Black Knight, the Independence Party will proceed on its noble quest. As the only political party truly dedicated to fiscal responsibility, I am of the opinion that during these difficult economics it is only fair that political parties and candidates share in the burden of balancing the state budget. As such, I have no qualms with Pawlenty’s decision.

Uldrich urges supporters to use the refund program while they can. A postscript to his appeal reads: “If you prefer to fight with at least one hand, make your contribution today!”

There’s a primary election today in Minnesota. You can be forgiven for not having noticed. With the temporary Republican takeover of the Twin Cities and a U.S. Senate race that’s been billed as a two-candidate duel for months, it’s easy to overlook the September balloting. But there are some intriguing questions to consider in looking at tomorrow’s results:

1. How comfortably will Al Franken advance out of the Democratic primary? There’s little doubt that the DFL-endorsed candidate will ultimately emerge from the six-candidate scuffle. His most serious challenger is Priscilla Lord Faris, an attorney and former Sunfish Lake City Council member, who filed at the last minute after citing concerns over Franken’s viability. But Lord Faris has run a schizophrenic campaign, initially running TV spots attacking Franken, but then pulling the ads (only to see Sen. Norm Coleman adopt the footage for his own attacks). The other challengers are the usual cast of gadflies, including perennial candidates Ole Savior and Dick Franson. Coleman faces just one challenger on the Republican side: fugitive arsonist Jack Shepard. Anything less than a Franken romp could indicate lingering questions about his candidacy among the DFL faithful.

2. Who will survive the Independence Party scrum? Jesse Ventura ultimately proved more interested in press attention than running a political campaign, but there are seven contenders for the IP crown. Three notables stand out from the pack. Dean Barkley enjoys the greatest name recognition, having served as director of the Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning during the Ventura administration and briefly as a U.S. senator following the death of Paul Wellstone. He also has the backing of the former Governor. Jack Uldrich is an author and former IP chairman. Southeastern Minnesota farmer Stephen Williams earned the party’s endorsement prior to the emergence of his two chief rivals. Whoever survives Tuesday’s primary will face the formidable task of siphoning off attention from the much anticipated Coleman-Franken showdown.

3. Does Dick Day have a chance in hell? Almost certainly not. But the eccentric state legislator from Owatonna could benefit from low turnout. He’s raised no money (almost literally), but enjoys widespread name recognition in the First Congressional District and is popular with the far right. Conversely, Brian Davis has raised a formidable war chest and enjoys the GOP’s official backing, but is a political neophyte. The winner gets the opportunity to take on Rep. Tim Walz.

4. Who will survive to get throttled by Collin Peterson? The suspense is agonizing. Alan Roebke is a convicted felon who doesn’t have enough money to pay for gas to campaign in the sprawling Seventh Congressional District. Glen Menze is the GOP-endorsed candidate and a veteran of the 2000 campaign, when he lost to Peterson by a mere 40 percentage points. The powerful chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, who is seeking his tenth term, would have to be caught in a compromising position with livestock to lose this election.

5. How many times will Republicans chant “Drill, Baby, Drill!” at Michele Bachmann’s victory party? Poor Bachmann. She’s been eclipsed by Sarah Palin as the designated GOP pinup girl for oil drilling. But the freshman legislator should be able to take solace in a thumping primary victory. Her challenger, St. John’s University psychology professor Aubrey Immelman, walked the entire district during the campaign — but will almost certainly be spared a similar trek to Washington. Elwyn Tinklenberg, running as a Blue Dog Democrat, and the Independence Party’s Bob Anderson await Bachmann in the general election.

6. Will alleged wife beater Mark Olson represent the GOP in November? In the most intriguing grass fire of the primary campaign, Rep. Mark Olson — who was kicked out of the Republican caucus after being arrested for domestic abuse — won the local GOP chapter’s backing for a state senate seat. This incited state party officials to denounce the endorsement, with Sen. Coleman even bizarrely entering the fray and GOP flak Michael Brodkorb trashing the candidate. The heavy handed tactics of GOP poohbahs seems to have backfired, however, with local activists rallying to Olson’s defense. We’ll find out tomorrow as he squares off against Alison Krueger in the primary. The winner will face Democrat Lisa Fobbe.

7. What will happen to the Override Six? The six Republicans who flouted party dictates by voting to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto of the transportation bill last spring have faced stiff reprisals from their party. The GOP stripped the turncoats of their leadership positions and several were denied endorsement by local party activists. Will voters also punish them at the ballot box? We’ll get a partial answer tomorrow. Rep. Neil Peterson, who was denied the GOP endorsement in 41B, will take on Jan Schneider. And Rep. Jim Abeler will face a similar task in battling Don Huizenga for the right to appear on the November ballot.

8. Will Minneapolis pols Joe Mullery, Willie Dominguez and Phylis Kahn survive? All three legislators face seemingly formidable primary opposition. Six-term Rep. Mullery, who represents the North Side, was denied the DFL endorsement in favor of activist Peggy Flanagan. But after Flanagan dropped out owing to personal issues, park board member and Dairy Queen owner Jon Olson entered the fray in 58A. Rep. Willie Dominguez just completed his first term and will face off against attorney Bobby Joe Champion. The challenger secured the DFL endorsement and has been strongly backed by U. S. Rep. Keith Ellison, who formerly held the North Side post. Rep. Kahn has seemingly been serving in the legislature since the advent of electricity (1972, actually), cultivating a reputation for eccentricity and eliciting visceral hatred from conservatives. The DFL’er has survived many electoral challenges through the years, but this year she faces Joel Rainville, whose family has exerted an out-sized influence on Minneapolis politics for decades.