Activity commences in new northern districts

After the new maps came out several days ago I detailed the redistricting implications in northeastern Minnesota. Today I’m going to take a new look at those districts and the political situations unfolding there. I have never precisely defined the borders of this blog’s coverage area, but I have to draw the line somewhere for this discussion. Therefore, I am going to include all districts that include part of the traditional seven county “Arrowhead” of northern Minnesota: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Lake, Itasca, Koochiching and the big one, St. Louis. Naturally these districts also spill out into Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing and Pine counties, among others, areas I know some but not as intimately as I do the Range and Duluth. I will do my best; correct me if I get something wrong.

Sens. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook), David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) and Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) were drawn into similar districts and will face similar electoral conditions as before, with some additional territory. Same is true for Reps. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing), Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia), David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake), Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth), Kerry Gauthier (DFL-Duluth) and Mary Murphy (DFL-Hermantown). All of these folks are favorites for re-election.

The real intrigue is in the pairings:

  • SD5: Sen. Tom Saxhaug (DFL-Grand Rapids) vs. Sen. John Carlson (R-Bemidji)
  • HD5A: Rep. John Persell (DFL-Bemidji) vs. Rep. Larry Howes (R-Walker)
  • HD5B: Rep. Tom Anzelc (DFL-Balsam Township) vs. Rep. Carolyn McElfatrick (R-Deer River)

And in the open seats:

  • SD10/HD10A: This Brainerd area seat includes only one incumbent, Rep. John Ward (DFL-Brainerd), but there are rumors he might seek the SD10 seat being vacated as Sen. Paul Gazelka (R-Brainerd) moves to run in SD9. Former GOP Sen. Carrie Ruud, who lost in 2006, becomes the only announced Republican for SD10. If Ward did this HD10A would open. There are two GOP candidates already announced, Chris Kellet and Kurt Martin, both of whom have pledged to abide by their party endorsement process.
  • HD10B: Announced candidates include Joe Radinovich (DFL-Crosby) and Republican David Pundt, who ran against Ward in 2008.
  • HD 11A (a seat I have yet to discuss, including Cloquet, Carlton County and the Fond du Lac Ojibwe reservation): The only announced candidate in 11A is Jesse Berglund (DFL-Cloquet), a local attorney, veteran and longtime JAG officer who boasts an impressive resume. UPDATE: I just read that union leader and former Carlton County DFL chair Mike Sundin will also seek the DFL nomination.

All of this comes with the acknowledgement that these open seats and contested incumbent districts could involve endorsement battles and other drama that we do not yet know about. It is my belief that the incumbents in these seats will be the nominees and that each of the paired or open seats will be highly competitive, though subject to the influence of a statewide political wave one way or the other.

UPDATE: District issues in 10A/10B have been corrected.

Comments

  1. >HD10B: Announced candidates include Joe Radinovich (DFL-Crosby) and GOPers Chris Kellet and Kurt Martin, who have pledged to abide by their party endorsement process.

    Radinovich is in HD10B but those two Republicans are in HD10A and may or may not face Ward, depending on what he decides.

    The only Republican announced for HD10B is David Pundt who lost to Ward in 2008.

  2. Sigh. I’ll get this right eventually. Corrected. I had my As and Bs mixed up. Do you think anyone else will emerge in 10B besides Pundt?

  3. I’m not aware of any more Republican candidates but the date for the nominating meeting for the party hasn’t been set. I suspect if there are any more DFL candidates they’d emerge from Aitkin County.

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