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Cloutless, not clueless
Doug Grow has a good read over at MinnPost about the likelihood of rural Minnesota losing political clout in the state legislature after the 2010 Census spins into 2012 redistricting. Of particular note is Rep. Al Juhnke’s assessment that the next two years of legislative activity are going to become make or break for all…
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COLUMN: On the move, on our dime
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 13, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. On the move, on our dimeBy Aaron J. Brown It would appear that another Iron Range highway must move to accommodate mining activity. It’s the 21st century but I can’t help wondering if war with the Spaniards won’t…
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Highway motion
I just wrote a column about the rerouting of Iron Range Highway 53 for United Taconite’s mining operations south of Virginia, Minn. Bone up by reading Monday’s story from the Duluth News Tribune. The column will run Sunday in the Hibbing Daily Tribune, but ask yourself the question: how does this story compare to the…
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Challenges from the middle in open Duluth DFL races
There were a few interesting turns in the last day of candidate filing here in northern Minnesota. I’ve already mentioned the intrigue in Duluth with State Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon leaving office to run for Lt. Governor. State Rep. Roger Reinert rather quickly announced his bid for the seat and faced little opposition. Now it…
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More Duluth political intrigue
A few Minnesota politics notes to pass along: Duluth Mayor Don Ness endorsed Margaret Anderson Kelliher in the DFL primary battle for governor. With Duluth’s state senator Yvonne Prettner Solon having joined Mark Dayton’s ticket, this demonstrates a pretty powerful counterpunch for Kelliher in the 8th, showing that she will contest this ground. She made…
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Reinert to run for Duluth senate seat
State Rep. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) announced tonight he would file to run for the Minnesota State Senate District 7 seat tomorrow. This is the seat being vacated by Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon, who was recently selected to be Mark Dayton’s running mate in the Governor/Lt. Governor race. As I said earlier, Reinert is the prohibitive…
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Two names emerge for Duluth DFL senate slot
Yesterday I raised the question of who might run for the DFL nomination for state senate in District 7 now that Yvonne Prettner Solon is running for Lt. Gov. with Mark Dayton. This district is wholly enclosed within the city of Duluth and the person who holds that seat becomes a very important leader in…
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A DFL showdown-to-be in Lucky SD 7?
I have to go do some real stuff now but, howdy hey, Mark Dayton’s selection of State Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon as his running mate also opens up a state senate seat in the heart of Duluth, a DFL bastion with a pretty deep political bench. Use the comment thread to speculate or announce your…
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Running mating season, a Range view
I had intended to wait until all three major DFL candidates for governor picked their running mates, but now that Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Mark Dayton have made their selections I already see a fascinating dynamic forming. Matt Entenza is due to add fuel to the fire on Thursday when he announces his running mate.…
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A MAK/Gunyou tidbit for now
I haven’t had time to fully develop my thoughts about today’s Lt. Gov. pick of John Gunyou by Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the DFL endorsed candidate for governor, other than “Kelliher/Gunyou” is a very menacing name for a ticket. That’s a ticket that rolls in its 5.0 with its rag top down so it’s hair can…
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Kind of a big deal: Steelworkers endorse Dayton
I’ve been staying out of the tit-for-tat political posting as much as possible, trying to focus on the real world. That’s my new thing, see. But there’s no ignoring the implications of today’s United States Steelworkers union endorsement of Mark Dayton in the Minnesota DFL gubernatorial primary over DFL endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Two…
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Political geeks, turn your eyes to the Atlantic horizon to-night
Today is election day in the United Kingdom, which is at least as much fun for American political nerds to watch as it is for baseball fans to watch the All-Star game. I am both, so I would know. There’s plenty on the internet for you to read on this topic, but not much for…
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"State of Superior" sees political unrest
I take special interest in the three congressional districts that constitute the historical, theoretical State of Superior. Naturally, there’s my home district of MN-08 (represented by Jim Oberstar, a Democrat). But so too do I make casual note of northern Wisconsin’s WI-07 (Dave Obey, whose been in congress even longer than Oberstar) and the Upper…
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At DFL convention the Range yells a mighty Yalp
I’ve spent a day decompressing from my service as a delegate to the DFL state convention in Duluth this weekend (or, if you are not of that political ilk, I was instead gathering among the Bear People). Margaret Anderson Kelliher won party backing for the office of governor. That’s well known. From my standpoint, the…
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Get your signed copy of "Overburden" between ballots
If you happen to be at the DFL convention in Duluth this weekend, consider stopping by to buy a signed copy of “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.” I’m a delegate out of the Itasca County group and will be on the floor. The books probably won’t be on the floor, but I’ll be…