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No DFL endorsement for Rukavina seat, primary awaits
In the open seat to replace Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) in the new district 6B, two DFLers battled to a draw today at the DFL endorsing convention in Hibbing. Jason Metsa led Lorrie Janatopoulos after four ballots but lacked the 60 percent needed to win endorsement. Turnout at this convention was suprisingly low; just 42…
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DFLers Saxhaug, Persell, Anzelc endorsed in Cohasset today
The hotbed in legislative battlegrounds this year is the new Senate District 5 and House Districts 5A and 5B in Itasca, Cass and Beltrami counties. Redistricting paired three DFL incumbents with three GOP incumbents here. Today, the DFL made its endorsements at the Cohasset Community Center. For Senate, the DFL unanimously endorsed incumbent Sen. Tom…
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Controversy nets Minnesota Zoo dolphins
There’s quite a tizzy brewing over the Minnesota Zoo’s decision to discontinue its dolphin exhibit after receiving state bonding funds last year to repair its dolphin tanks. You have to drain the tanks to fix them, and apparently the costs are too high to house the dolphins elsewhere during that time so they are just…
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Labor organizer Metsa to seek Rukavina seat
Jason Metsa, field coordinator for the North East Area Labor Council on the Iron Range, has announced that he will seek the House 6B seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Pike Township). Metsa, 31, is a fifth-generation Iron Ranger with roots in the Angora and Nashwauk area. His family moved to Rochester for…
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Janatopoulos first to announce run for Rukavina seat
Over the next few days I’ll be sharing candidate announcements in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Tom Rukavina in a key Iron Range state House seat. The DFL endorsing convention will be held Saturday, May 19, and it remains to be seen how many candidates will run and whether they will honor the endorsement…
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A busy week of Iron Range politics
Last week Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Pike Township) announced he would retire from the State House seat he’s held for 26 years. This is will likely remain a solid DFL district in the heart of the Iron Range, though Rukavina seldom drew a very strong GOP challenger. Once again, we test the true index of an…
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Cravaack plans "major announcement" 5:30 p.m. Saturday
UPDATE: The announcement relates to Coast Guard jurisdiction on Mille Lacs. Team Cravaack has used their one “major announcement” fake-out for the year. Hope it was worth it. This looks interesting: MEDIA ADVISORYCravaack to Make Major Announcement Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Chip Cravaack (MN) will make a major announcement tomorrow, Saturday May 12th. WHO: …
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Rukavina retires, marking end of an Iron Range era
Today, the passionate, populist, often enigmatic Iron Range state Rep. Tom Rukavina announced his retirement. Rukavina has represented his eastern Iron Range district for 26 years. This district, now called 6B, was known as 5A for much of his career. This district includes the city of Virginia where Rukavina grew up and first became involved…
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Anzelc IRRRB daylight provision to become law
A bill that would reopen financial data for Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board activities successfully passed the state legislature yesterday and is expected to be signed by Gov. Dayton. The daylight provision in the omnibus tax bill was the work of Rep. Tom Anzelc, who managed to find enough Republican support for repealing the…
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Fear and wolving in Minnesota
It’s hard to lament our times because it is so often difficult to determine which times we’re in. For instance, I read today that Minnesota officials are preparing for a wolf hunt and conceding large amounts of money to “Vikings.” Those sound like old school, old world problems, which is why it’s so vexing that…
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Nolan cruises to MN-8 DFL endorsement
Former U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan easily won a first-ballot endorsement for Congress by DFLers in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District. The victory was expected after a string of convincing victories in local delegate selection contests over the past two months. His DFL opponents Tarryl Clark and Jeff Anderson will challenge Nolan for the nomination in the…
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Big ship marks big weekend in Duluth
Fans gathered for the conclusion to the Homegrown Music Festival and delegates assembling for today’s DFL Eighth District Convention on Spirit Mountain might soon catch a glimpse of this wild-looking ship, the Clipper Gemini, arriving around midday in the harbor. It’s not often that Duluth ends up being a port of call on a ship’s…
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MN-8 DFL convention to reboot hot race
This weekend DFLers in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District will hold their convention in Duluth. The top agenda item will be endorsing a candidate to run against Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8), the upstart freshman conservative in a race that most national watchers are calling a true toss-up. Cravaack was already endorsed for re-election by MN-8 Republicans…
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"These boys are a hit"
If I am to believe recent site statistics, readers of this blog care about three things and in the following order: Trampled by Turtles, Bob Dylan’s Minnesota roots and scuttlebutt on the race for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional seat. So, like a lucky songwriter penning furtive screeds about the IRRRB, I must accept that the concert…
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IRRRB transparency provision searches for daylight
Over the weekend, Peter Passi of the Duluth News Tribune continued his coverage of Rep. Tom Anzelc’s bill to end an unusual privacy provision on the books at the IRRRB.* The rule was adopted without debate four years ago and shields much of this unique state agency’s loan agreement data from the public, something that…