A political opportunity for the Iron Range

This Mary Lahammer post from TPT reminds us that there are some serious Iron Range implications in the upcoming gubernatorial endorsement and 2010 election. Naturally, we’ve got a Range legislator in the scrum at the DFL convention trying to get endorsed (Tom Rukavina is considered to be in the second tier, according to MinnPost, MNPublius and others). But one of the two front-runners for that office, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher is leaving her office regardless of the results later this month.

That means House Majority Leader Tony Sertich is the odds-on favorite to win the Speaker job, particularly if Kelliher wins the endorsement and resigns early. Even if she doesn’t she’ll be done next winter. The only complication there is that the DFL would need to retain its House majority in what could be a tough, or at least unpredictable political climate. With just shy of a 2-1 advantage, that’s highly unlikely and Sertich would still be the likely choice.

Obviously a Republican wouldn’t love everything about that scenario, but regardless of your politics the unique nature of geographic politics means that northern and rural representatives in leadership is generally better for northern and rural interests.

The odds might be long for a northern Minnesota governor this upcoming year, but it’s not hard to imagine an Iron Range House Speaker and Lt. Governor. Not too shabby. If we can’t finish Highway 169 and drain the Canisteo Pit under those circumstances I am going to become a Whig. A radical Whig.

Comments

  1. I would like to see Sertich as speaker. He’s really good.

    From Minneapolis.

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