UPDATE X2: Folstrom drops out of 4A DFL race; Persell poised as frontrunner

Dammit, blogging, I can’t quit you.

So much for the “no blog” Tuesday afternoon.

FLASH! From the House District 4A DFL endorsement race. Irene Folstrom withdrew her bid for the endorsement today, leaving a clear path for the other candidate, John Persell, a Beltrami County Soil and Water commissioner and longtime DFLer. Persell has worked in government and as an environmental consultant for the Leech Lake tribe of Ojibwa, which means he has a good relationship with many of the constituencies he would serve as State Representative. He’s also, from what I’ve heard from Bemidji friends, got the potential to be a very knowledgeable and effective representative in the mold of popular outgoing Rep. Frank Moe. And he’s got wind turbines on his property. Damn, that’s hot. (I’m serious. I want a turbine more than any other large, metal, currently unaffordable piece of machinery).

Anyway, it’s still possible that other candidates could emerge on either side, but Persell now has a clear upper hand and should be considered the favorite for the DFL endorsement and nomination. Either Tony Williams or John Carlson will be the Republican candidate.

UPDATE:
Why did Folstrom drop out? Here is an excerpt from her press release last night:

Today, after much thought and consideration, Irene Folstrom has decided to not seek the DFL endorsement for House District 4A seat. Folstrom attributes her decision to family concerns and a desire to devote her energy to local issues and becoming more involved in the communities of Northern Minnesota.

“While I am sad to come to the decision to not seek the endorsement, I am excited to re-emerge myself in community activism, economic development initiatives and focusing on my young family. I am thrilled to have my oldest child start kindergarten this fall at Lincoln Elementary and watch my husband’s career flourish. I’ve decided to put politics on the backburner for now to focus on what has driven me my whole life: giving hope and energy to my communities and be a great mother and wife. I will be very involved in the campaigns this election cycle and know this is the right
decision for my family, our party and our communities. I look forward to playing a more active role in the redevelopment of my hometown of Cass Lake and the exciting changes happening here in Bemidji.”

Folstrom will continue to work on the campaigns locally and nationally throughout the campaign cycle. Folstrom, her husband and two sons will be active participants throughout the elections.

Who says Democrats aren’t big on family values? Here we have two candidates in Bemidji, Frank Moe and now Irene Folstrom, passing on a run for office because of the time it takes away from family. This is a big issue for anyone in office, but especially those who live several hours away from St. Paul.

Also, from a political standpoint, I image that Folstrom and Persell were competing for the same voters from the Leech Lake band — a major DFL demographic in 4A. Folstrom is a Leech Lake member and Persell is a longtime associate of the band. If those delegates were splitting their support in any measurable way that may have been enough to convince Irene to try again another time. In any event, Irene conducted herself well in this process and may well have another shot at office in the future.

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