The Weekly Wrap 2-1
Tonight Aaron Klemz and myself will be on teh conservative radio talking about fre3dom!!?!
♣ Hey, there was an election this week. A Bonus Primary Election as a matter of fact.
This was the Democratic primary to face Allen Quist and Independence party candidate Tim Gieseke for the Minnesota House 19A seat vacated by DFLer Terry Morrow.
The results:
Timothy Strand 5% (51)
Karl Johnson 26% (252)
Robin Courrier 2% (23)
Clark Johnson 66% (641)
As you can see, the people of House district 19A like them some Johnson.
The general bonus election will be held on February 12th, coincidentally (not really) the same day as the general bonus election for the also vacant House district 14A seat. That race is also between three candidates; DFLer Joanne Dorsher, Republican Tama Theis and Independence party candidate Todd McKee.
♣ Two people who had already made their intentions pretty well known concerning their likely role in the Minneapolis Mayoral race did their whole official campaign announcement thing this week. Those people are Gary Schiff and Don Samuels.
Do I now start calling them official candidate Gary Schiff and official candidate Don Samuels? I suppose I could shorten it to official candidates Gary Schiff and Don Samuels. And do I then refer to the rest of the field as unofficial candidates?
Also concerning the Minneapolis Mayors race, fundraising reports were due. So far no one has raised much, with official candidate Gary Schiff reporting around $20,000 raised and unofficial candidate Besty Hodges $11,000. No one else, official or unofficial, started soliciting money until this year.
♣ Minnesota Republicans, lost and flailing, gathered at an Arden Hills salon to talk about where they go from here. TwoPutt over at MNProgressive Project has the full round-up.
♣ Steve Simon has introduced legislation to change the rules of Minnesota’s Absentee Balloting system so that you don’t need an excuse to vote absentee. This is a long overdue change and shouldn’t be controversial. However, stinging from their loss on the Photo Voter ID amendment, the GOP might not be in a mood to help out with any election changes.
It’s a good thing the DFL doesn’t need their votes, despite what Kurt Daudt may think.
♣ The fundraising reports are in and the battle over the Marriage Discrimination Amendment last year cost a combined $18 Million dollars. $12 Million of it spent by Minnesotans United for All Families by themselves.
Amazingly Michele Bachmann spent more then that in 2012 all by herself while winning the most Republican district in the state by only 4,296 votes. Fiscal conservatism!
♣ On the subject of fundraising, Mark Dayton wants to increase the contribution limits for individuals to statewide candidates in off years. That limit is currently $500.
♣ And on the subject of Michele Bachmann, the House Majority PAC is already out with a list of ten Republican members of the House they are targeting in 2014. On said list of ten for the entire country, are two, that’s right two, from our very own state of Minnesota.
Those two are, of course, the aforementioned Michele Bachmann, and second district representative John Kline.
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