Primary Day in northern Minnesota

Events like the Aug. 14 primary always bring new readers to this site. If this is you, welcome! MinnesotaBrown.com covers politics, but that’s only a part of why I write the blog. We’re here to celebrate, protect, defend, reform and innovate one little corner of the world, so that the story of our people carries on to new generations. This is the same mission that people have pursued since they became self-aware, sentient beings. MinnesotaBrown is about people.

Our corner of the world is the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota. It’s a place with a story to tell. And tonight it is a political story. The DFL party, long the dominant coalition in northern Minnesota, now seeks to nominate a candidate to challenge the man who upended conventional wisdom in 2010: U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8).

Cravaack defeated scion of the Iron Range Jim Oberstar, a 36-year veteran of the House of Representatives and national transportation issues leader. Though the election of 2012 is predicted to be extremely difficult for Cravaack he is nonetheless a formidable candidate. The general election will likely be very close and tonight’s primary and aftermath will determine whether the DFL gains ground or loses.

A slightly different legislative election is happening in the heart of the Mesabi Range. Several candidates seek to replace retiring Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Pike Township) and an unpredictable DFL and GOP primary is in store there.

I’ll be covering the election tonight. I have eyes and ears in the field. I’ll be doing a live broadcast from my home on the MPR News website with results and analysis at 9:30 p.m., but I’m hoping to have substantial information here before then.

If you live here, don’t forget to vote. There are races on the line for Democrats and Republicans. They’re saying that the August primary will produce extremely low turnout. I’d like to prove them wrong. Find out where to vote with the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Here is my recent report on House District 6B, with a follow-up here.

Here is my recent report on the MN-8 DFL race. I interviewed Rick Nolan, Jeff Anderson and Tarryl Clark for the blog and KAXE if you still haven’t made up your mind.

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