Years ending in zero make for interesting elections in Minnesota
All 201 Minnesota Senate and House seats will be on the ballot Election Day. Senators, usually elected to four-year terms, only get two in 2010.
That’s because the next governor and legislature will take on the once-in-a-decade task of redistricting that follows every U.S. Census. State legislative districts will be redrawn for the 2012 election based on new population estimates due out early next year, and the party in power gets to hold the pen.
In Southwest, a DFL stronghold, many of the names on the ballot will be familiar from recent — and even not-so-recent — elections.
Sen. Linda Berglin (DFL-61) is seeking a 10th term in the Senate, following four in the House. Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-61A) will ask voters to return her to the House for the 16th time.
Two Southwest legislators are up for re-election for the first time: Sen. Ken Kelash (DFL-63), who won a 2008 special election to replace former Sen. Dan Larson when he resigned; and Rep. Jeff Hayden (DFL-61B), who took over for former Rep. Neva Walker when she chose not to seek re-election in 2008.
One familiar name is missing from this year’s ballot.
Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL-60A), who failed to win her party’s primary in the race to replace Gov. Tim Pawlenty, is not seeking re-election. Marion Greene, Kelliher’s 2006 campaign manager, will attempt to retain that seat for the DFL.
Senate District 60
(Covers Bryn, Mawr, Lowry Hill, Lowry Hill East, East Isles, Kenwood, CIDNA, West Calhoun, ECCO, CARAG, East Harriet, Linden Hills, Tangletown, Fulton, and parts of Lyndale, Kingfield,
and Lynnhurst)
Candidates:
Scott Dibble (DFL), Incumbent
scottdibble.com
volunteersfordibble@gmail.com
612-293-7360
Scot Pekarek (Republican)
scotpekarekforsenate.com
scotpekarek@gmail.com
612-600-8888
Senate District 61
(Covers Whittier and parts of Lyndale and Kingfield)
Candidates:
Linda Berglin (DFL), Incumbent
lindaberglin.campaignoffice.com
sen.linda.berglin@senate.leg.state.mn.us
612-822-0694
James Schlemmer (Republican)
jmschlemmer@gmail.com
612-501-7917
Senate District 62
(Covers part of the Windom neighborhood, but mostly lies in South Minneapolis on the other side of I-35W)
Candidates:
Patricia Torres Ray (DFL), Incumbent
patricciaforsenate.org
patricia@patriciaforsenate.org
612-722-1068
Patrick Elgin (Republican)
electelgin.com
pat.elgin@electelgin.com
612-353-6026
Senate District 63
(Covers Armatage, Kenny and parts of Lynnhurst and Windom, as well as Richfield and part of Bloomington)
Candidates:
Ken Kelash (DFL), Incumbent
kelash.org
kelashforsenate@gmail.com
612-866-3529
Craig Marston (Republican)
www.marstonforsenate.com
craig@marstonforsenate.com
612-869-1352
House District 60A
(Covers Bryn Mawr, Lowry Hill, Lowry Hill East, East isles, Kenwood, CIDNA, and parts of Lyndale and CARAG)
Candidates:
Marion Greene (DFL)
mariongreene.org
marion@mariongreene.org
612-374-8728
Brian Gruber (Republican)
briangruber.org
brian@briangruber.org
612-281-3564
House District 60B
(Covers West Calhoun, Linden Hills, Fulton, ECCO, East Harriet, Tangletown, and parts of CARAG, Lyndale, Kingfield and Lynnhurst)
Candidates:
Frank Hornstein (DFL), Incumbent
frankhornstein.org
fhornstein@msn.com
612-926-3406
Scott Brooks (Republican)
scottbrooksforhouse.com
sbrooks1158@earthlink.net
612-824-6218
House District 61A
(Covers most of Whittier)
Candidates:
Karen Clark (DFL), Incumbent
votekaren.org
votekaren@aol.com
612-237-7156
Nicholas Skrivanek (Republican)
651-341-7346
Sadik Warfa (Independent)
sadikwarfa.com
sadikwarfa@gmail.com
612-871-6885
House District 61B:
(Covers Whittier, Lyndale and Kingfield)
Candidates:
Jeff Hayden (DFL), Incumbent
jeffreyhayden.org
jeffreyhayden@gmail.com
612-501-0501
Michael J. Sullivan (Republican)
612-827-6814
House District 62B
(Covers parts of Windom, but mostly lies in South Minneapolis on the other side of I-35W)
Candidates:
Jean Wagenius (DFL), Incumbent
jeanwagenius.org
jean@jeanwagenius.org
612-822-3347
Deanna Boss (Republican)
612-386-3565
House District 63A
(Covers Armatage, Kenny and parts of Lynnhurst and Windom)
Candidates:
Paul Thissen (DFL), Incumbent
paulthissen.com
pthissen@comcast.net
612-824-6697
Nathan Atkins (Republican)
nathanatkins2010.com
natkins99@gmail.com
651-252-4057