Patty Wetterling endorses Susan Gaertner for Governor
St. Paul – Today Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner announced that child safety advocate and former congressional candidate Patty Wetterling is supporting her campaign for governor of Minnesota. Gaertner’s campaign released the following letter from Wetterling this morning, outlining Wetterling’s reasons for endorsing Gaertner:
“Dear Friend,
Like many of you, I have refrained from making an early decision about who to support in the race for governor of Minnesota. With so many DFL candidates in the field, it has been no small challenge to determine which candidate I believe will be the best choice to lead our state through this difficult time.
Yet after sifting through information on the values, views, and priorities of all the candidates, one stands out from the rest. The person I am supporting has the executive leadership ability of a manager of a large public office, the community commitment of a local elected official, and the moral integrity of a prosecutor who does what is right rather than what is popular. With strong Democratic values and a pragmatic approach, this candidate will bring together progressives, moderates, and independents in a coalition that can win next November. This candidate is Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, and I am proud to support her campaign for governor of Minnesota in 2010.
Throughout her career, Susan has demonstrated a passionate commitment to the families and communities of her jurisdiction. In addition to successfully prosecuting many dangerous offenders, she has led innovative projects that have made significant long-term impacts on the youth and families of Ramsey County.
With the Truancy Intervention Program, Susan has substantially increased school attendance and increased graduation rates in St. Paul and in the suburbs. She has dramatically improved coordination across jurisdictions for the prosecution of domestic violence cases through the Joint Domestic Abuse Prosecution Unit. She is also the only county attorney in Minnesota fully in charge of the county’s child support collection program; Ramsey County now brings in more than $62 million in child support annually, ensuring food, clothing, and health care for thousands of children in need.
For these reasons and more, I wholeheartedly support Susan’s candidacy. I am proud to get to share some of Susan’s accomplishments with you, and I am very hopeful that Susan will have the opportunity to extend her commitment to Ramsey County families to families across Minnesota, as our next governor.
We need Susan Gaertner’s principled and compassionate leadership to help give our state a fresh start. I hope you will join me by making a contribution or signing up to volunteer with her campaign today.
Sincerely,
Patty Wetterling”
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