Southern Minnesota news sources are reporting that popular St. Peter mayor Tim Strand has joined Robin Courrier, Clark Johnson and Karl Johnson as a contender for the DFL endorsement for the open seat in House District 19A.
Mankato Free Press staff writer Mark Fischenich reports in St. Peter Mayor Strand enters House race:
St. Peter Mayor Tim Strand will be the eighth candidate and fourth Democrat seeking to fill a vacant state House seat in a Feb. 12 special election.Strand, who said he will file for the seat Thursday, hasn’t been active in the Democratic Party during his seven years as mayor of St. Peter and two as a councilman. And he said many acquaintances didn’t know his political affiliation.
“I was pretty good at hiding that from what I hear now,” he said. “I guess I never let on — mayor is a nonpartisan position.
Strand will stress his experience as a city and regional leader. Fischenich reports:
Strand said his campaign will focus on his experience in local and regional government and his familiarity with the legislative process and its key players. He’s served as chairman of the Region Nine Development Commission, as a board member of the League of Minnesota Cities and as president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. . . .
Strand will abide by the endorsement. Read more at the Mankato Free Press.
The St. Peter Herald reports in St. Peter mayor announces for District 19A House seat:
. . . In addition to serving two years as a city council member, Strand has served as vice president of the Red Men Club and as an evaluation specialist for Scholarship America.
In the past several years, Strand, once the head of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, has worked to keep St. Peter's tax levy flat and oversaw work on Highway 169, recently redesigned to bring new business to St. Peter.. . .
In addition to the four Democrats, IP candidate Tim Gieseke and Republicans Joel Brinker, Jim Golgart and Allen Quist each hope to capture the seat.
All have promised to abide by their party's endorsement, although there will be a primary for the DFL candidates. Mark Fischenich explains:
. . .DFL had set its endorsing convention too late to avoid a primary election — even if all the contenders agree to abide by the endorsement. That’s because the filing deadline is Jan. 15 and the convention is set for Jan. 19. Typically, non-endorsed candidates would agree to not even file for the seat in deference to the choice of party activists at the endorsing convention.
The election will be held on February 12.
Photo: St. Peter Mayor Tim Strand, via the Mankato Free Pree.
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