Because Congressman Walz's 2010 re-election was reched with under 50 percent, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put the three-term representative on its Frontline list. Despite this, no Republican has declared his or her intent to run.
Names are being circulated, but the paucity of declared candidates is a consequence of the coming re-districting. Potential opponent are quite simply waiting until the lines are withdrawn.
Here are the names I've heard, along with the scuttlebutt about them.
Randy Demmer: the name gets brought up, as in this early March article in Minnpost. I'm not hearing much enthusiasm, save from DFLers.
Steve Drazkowski: Anti-immigrant activist Ruthie Hendrycks raised the possibility in a podcast of the Ruthie Report in February. The Draz demured. Some DFLers fear he might have teflon Bachmann luck. Regardless of how absurd his legislative proposals are--from chopping down walnut tree in state parks to English-only, he remains popular in the more conservative parts of the GOP base.
Andy Johnson Sr: The Mankato Tea Party activist may not be well-known outside of Mankato, but at a recent office visit to Walz's congressional office to demand cuts to government spending, some DFLers who stpped by thought they saw kingmaker and retired Bachmann district director Julie Quist coaching Johnson. A dark horse.
Mike Parry: There's talk in the Waseca-Owatonna area that Parry is considering a run. The Faribault Daily News recently ran a puff piece about Parry that mentioned a possible Parry run:
Parry also brushes aside suggestions that his increasingly public profile signals greater political ambitions. Parry’s congressional district is currently held by Democrat Tim Walz. The Republican Party has made no secret of its interest in gaining the seat in Washington, D.C.
Allen Quist: His wife's retirement from her position as Bachmann's district director have caused some to owonder if she'll bring her formidable organizational talents to a second bid by her husband for the GOP endorsement. Quist came in second behind Demmer in 2010 in the quest for their party's endorsement; social conservatives hope Quist will try again.
Julie Rosen: While Rosen might seem like a strong candidate to outsiders, more conservative GOP base in the First is somewhat suspicious of her having RINO tendencies. With the construction of a second home in Mendota, she's probably comfortable in the state senate.
Steve Sviggum: Said to have ambitions for the seat, Sviggum and his home in Kenyon wuld have to redistricted into the first--or he'd have to move (a big step for the farmer and half-time prof at the U of M's Humphrey School).
Photo: Congressman Tim Walz meeting with veterans in Austin.
Andy Johnson Sr. is a dolt and a blowhard.
Posted by: RealMinnesotan | Apr 12, 2011 at 04:10 PM