If Independence Party hopeful Steve Wilson was seeking the Republican endorsement, Congressman Walz might have good reason to worry. Since the conservative former Republican is pursuing the IP label, CD1 Republicans may have reason to pause instead.

An active member of an Assembly of God congregation in Rochester, Wilson can boast of impeccable conservative credentials on his resume, if he were the sort to brag. Embedded with the US Army in Iraq, he worked toward that country's reconstruction by helping small businesses get their start-up. A small businessman himself, he consulted for Land O' Lakes, assisting dairy farmers in creating business plans. Heeding the notion in Matthew to tend to "the least of these," Wilson founded a rural ministry at the Coyote Crossing Christian Ranch that served at-risk children and created a successful mentoring program that matches adult Christian role models with the children of incarcerated adults.

His political passion, however, is working to reduce the national debt, and he was a speaker at a well-attended forum on the issue in November, sponsored by the Rochester Tea Party Patriots.

RTTP activist Laura Zaborowski wrote up the presentation for the group's website.

In gubernatorial news, Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher released her fundraising numbers last week. Despite not entering the race until August, she has managed to raise over $250,000 in those few months, and has $81,000 cash on hand. She also announced raising $80,000 in the month of December.

Making news in another way, Former State Auditor Pat Anderson announced she is exiting the governor’s race yesterday. Citing an unsettled field of GOP candidates, she’s declared that she will once again run for State Auditor. This departure represents the last female GOP governor candidate, with state Representative Laura Brod leaving last year for health reasons. This means that the entire governor’s race is now down to 2 female candidates, or 10% of the candidates, from a potential high of 25% back in June.

Quote of the day: “Home ownership doesn’t work too well without a woman willing or able to take on a share of the workload — or all of it.”

First, the in the governor’s race, Margaret Anderson Kelliher has announced a new hire.

[Anderson Kelliher's] campaign says it hired Allison Myhre as camp. spokeswoman. Myhre worked for DFL Rep. Collin Peterson.

And in the race for the party nomination, Attorney Susan Gaertner has stated she is no longer abiding by the endorsement, choosing to run in the primary regardless.

In the 6th CD, Tarryl Clark has been endorsed by Emily’s List.

EMILY’s List doesn’t lend its imprimatur to all pro-choice women candidates and the endorsement indicates that they take Clark’s chances seriously.

In the press release announcing the endorsement, EMILY’s List President Ellen Malcolm called Clark (who is also assistant majority leader of the state Senate) “a proven vote getter in what is traditionally rough territory for Democrats,” and asserted that “her candidacy puts this district in play and gives Democrats the best shot at picking up this swing-seat in November.”

But the 6th isn’t the only race with action. Former State Legislator Shelly Madore is challenging Dan Powers for the DFL endorsement in the 2nd district. The winner of that race will go on to face sitting congressman Republican John Kline. According to mnpACT:

Democrat Madore broke a long standing Republican stranglehold of the District 37A legislative seat in 2006. In fact, she broke a lot of barriers for Democrats in the South Metro, finding a way to win in a perceived conservative district. She lost her bid for re-election in 2008, by a narrow margin, to a heavily financed challenger, Tara Mack.

When she was elected in 2006, she quickly became a driving force for transportation issues in the south metro area….something that may run as a strong campaign theme in her 2010 bid.

And Maureen Hackett, one of the candidates running to unseat first term Congressman Erik Paulsen, has made a radio ad buy.

Maureen Hackett, a DFLer running in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, started running a radio ad on Air America. The ad is a basic introductory ad detailing Hackett’s profile.

Hackett’s spokesman said the ad will run 70 times over the next two weeks at the cost of $674.80.

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

EMILY’s List Endorses Margaret Anderson Kelliher for Governor of Minnesota

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest financial resource for women candidates, today announced its endorsement of Margaret Anderson Kelliher for Governor of Minnesota.

“EMILY’s List is proud to endorse Margaret Anderson Kelliher for Governor,” said Ellen R. Malcolm, President of EMILY’s List. “As Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Margaret has earned a reputation as a coalition builder, reaching across the aisle and working to make life better for all Minnesotans. She is a champion for women and families and has exactly what it takes to be elected Minnesota’s first female Governor. EMILY’s List is thrilled to support Margaret’s campaign and stand with her as she makes history in 2010.”

“I am honored to receive the EMILY’s List endorsement,” said Kelliher. “Their members support will be critical to help me build a strong and winning campaign across Minnesota.”

Kelliher was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1998. In her first term, she was named “Freshman Legislator of the Year.” Kelliher guided the passage of a nation-leading renewable energy standard. When the safety of Minnesota roads and bridges was at stake, Kelliher built the coalition of Democrats and Republicans that overrode Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s transportation bill veto. Over the course of the past three legislative sessions – all of which ended on time – Kelliher oversaw an agenda that provided health care coverage for 40,000 uninsured children, provided for property tax relief for Minnesota families, and fulfilled a commitment to increase school funding.

In the face of historic economic challenges, Kelliher created a Jobs Task Force, recognizing the need to invest in job creation and training skilled workers for the new economy. She has been a relentless leader on choice, reproductive rights and women’s health.

In 2006, EMILY’s List helped elect Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota’s first woman U.S. Senator. In 1998, EMILY’s List helped elect Congresswoman Betty McCollum the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the state.

EMILY’s List is the nation’s largest financial resource for women candidates. In the 2007-2008 cycle, EMILY’s List raised more than $43 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With more than 100,000 members across the country, EMILY’s List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY’s List has worked to elect 80 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 15 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices.

For more information on EMILY’s List and Margaret Anderson Kelliher, please visit www.emilyslist.org.

This week, Tarryl and I are celebrating my 49th birthday. It is my first 49th birthday, and I haven’t completely decided whether it will be my last 49th birthday. I may decide to have a few more before I’m ready to admit to being fifty. You know, try it on and see if it fits.

By coincidence, it is also the anniversary of starting my first full-time job after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam. That job marked the first time we had family health insurance.

Like far too many working families today, we did not have family health insurance coverage before that time. And while Tarryl had an individual policy through her work, it offered no maternity coverage. We went through our first pregnancy, Colin’s birth, and his first 3 months of life without health insurance. During that time, we struggled to pay for the cost of doctor visits, hospital stays, and routine tests – we even had to pre-pay for Colin’s birth.

We lived with the fear of unexpected illness or injury. Without family insurance, a car accident or injury while playing a pick-up basketball game could have spiraled us into massive debt. God blessed Colin with good health, as even minor health problems for him would have been far beyond our ability to pay. Any major accident or illness would have driven us into bankruptcy, and possibly destroyed our family. We lived through that time on faith and prayer and hard work.

I have thought about that part of our lives many times over the years as I have watched Tarryl fight for working families, senior citizens, children, and veterans. In her years as an advocate at the Capitol, and as a State Senator, Tarryl has been a strong voice for extending health care coverage. I am proud to see the fruit of her efforts, and many others, help tens of thousands of Minnesotans get decent health care insurance, and maintain that insurance through difficult economic times.

We need Tarryl’s energy and commitment at the national level. As our representative in Congress, Tarryl will continue her work to extend health care coverage to those who need it and help make health care more affordable and stable for those who have it. No one should have to worry about how to provide basic care for their family, like we did.

With your help, Tarryl can take her passion and commitment all the way to Congress, where she can continue to speak out for meaningful health care reform, and work to make sure it works for every Minnesota family.

But it will take a commitment from you, too: a commitment to fighting for the issues we share, a commitment to getting the message out, and a commitment to being a part of this campaign.

You can show your commitment today by making a donation of $20.10 to our campaign. Your support is all I’m asking for this birthday.

With your help, Tarryl can take this critically important fight for affordable, accessible health care all the way to Congress.

Sincerely,
Doug Clark

Monday, Former Gov. Wendell Anderson came out as an Anderson Kelliher supporter. “Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher is the leader we need to steer us through these troubled times,” stated Anderson in an email to supporters. “I am proud to add my name to the over 1,000 people who have publicly pledged their support to Margaret for Governor.”

And today, the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers Minnesota chapter gave the Speaker their endorsement as well. Via the Star Tribune: “Our members, from Rochester to the Twin Cities to Moorhead to Duluth and the Iron Range, need a governor who will get electricians off the bench and back on the job,” said Tom Koehler, President of the IBEW Minnesota State Council. “Minnesota needs a peoples-leader and we believe that person, that peoples-leader is Margaret Anderson Kelliher.”

This puts Speaker Anderson Kelliher at four endorsements, leading all of the other DFL governor candidates.

Today economists delivered a grim financial forecast – we face yet another budget deficit. This on-going budget crisis must be resolved. It is time for Minnesota to break this cycle. We need a Governor who will level with Minnesotans. We need a Governor who does not rely on cuts alone to balance the budget. Solving our current economic shortfall and creating economic security will take a balanced approach and require the right mix of spending cuts and revenue increases.

Today’s budget forecast is a reminder that Governor Pawlenty’s unallotment did not balance Minnesota’s two-year budget. It was a quick political fix that solved nothing. Governor Pawlenty, Rep. Seifert and the House Republicans chose politics over the best interest of Minnesotans. I will be a very different kind of Governor.

The next session is going to be a challenge. Focused on his national ambitions, Governor Pawlenty appears determined to keep his “no new taxes” pledge regardless of the toll it takes on the people of Minnesota. However, our challenges can become new opportunities. With bold new leadership in 2011 and beyond, we can take the opportunity to reform the way Minnesota does business by implementing an economic development plan that will create jobs and improve our economy, balance our budget, and invest in education and health care.

To make these opportunities a reality, Minnesota needs a proven leader. The next Governor will have only twelve weeks from the day she is elected to propose a full budget, with progressive tax reform. Minnesota needs a leader who has stood up and fought for what is best for our state—someone who understands the difficulties Minnesotans face, and who will bring people together to create long term solutions and secure our future.

I have a track record of bringing people together to solve problems and resolve issues. I’ve taken on the partisan forces in state government and won. After the 35W bridge collapse, Governor Pawlenty told me he would never sign a transportation reform bill. I knew what I needed to do: I brought together a broad coalition that worked together to make Minnesota’s roads and bridges safer, and we overrode the governor’s veto.

In the 2010 election, we have the chance to work together again and ensure that Minnesota has the Governor it deserves. It will take another broad, strong and diverse coalition and I need you to be part of that effort.

Please join me in this campaign. Become part of the coalition by visiting my website and signing up as a Grassroots Endorser. You can also sign up to join our team of amazing volunteers and pledge to caucus for me on February 2, 2010. I also hope you will consider making a financial investment in the campaign – your contribution of $50, $100 or $250 will help build a people-powered campaign to identify caucus attendees and allow me to bring the message about my candidacy to Minnesotans in every corner of our state.

Dear Friend,

I’m proud to support my friend, Senator Tarryl Clark, in her campaign for Congress.

Tarryl is a seasoned, experienced legislator. She knows her district, and she knows central Minnesota. She knows the needs of the people of this area — their economic needs, their transportation needs, and their community service needs. She knows how to work in a legislative environment, to work across party lines and to bring people together for a consensus to build a better future for us in Minnesota.

Tarryl is a winner—she’s already won in this district. With your support, she will win this campaign and serve the people of Minnesota effectively.

We need Tarryl in Congress – and you can make sure she gets there. Please join me in supporting Tarryl Clark by sending a contribution of $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can today.

With your help, Tarryl will join me in working for you in Congress.

Sincerely,

Congressman Jim Oberstar

p.s. you can view my video endorsement (and contribute today) at www.tarrylclark.com

1. Margaret Anderson Kelliher (formerly #2): With multiple union endorsements in hand, MAK is moving into a strong position for convention endorsement. Women’s groups and Union support are golden and Kelliher is getting solid marks on those fronts. One more big endorsement by SEIU or Education MN and it could give her hard to beat momentum. Her biggest challenge going forward will be the legislative session. The success or failure of the 2010 version is squarely on her shoulders. Can she successfully challenge Pawlenty and push a Democratic agenda, via compromise or override? Or will she end up on the short end of more vetos? Her strength as a governor candidate is riding on the outcome.

Kelliher will be speaking at mnpACT’s candidate forum with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak on December 11th.