While Joanne Dorsher's campaign may have been criticized when campaign chair Doug Clark closed the official endorsing convention a few weeks ago, the paper's editorial board has endorsed Dorsher for the House District 14A seat opened by the resignation of Steve Gottwalt.
The editorial board observes in Our view: Dorsher best suited for 14A seat:
Dorsher’s seven years of St. Cloud school board experience best positions her to succeed. She started there when the school board struggled with dysfunction and division. Her communication skills helped overcome that while also addressing budget cuts, building closures, excess levy referendums and enrollment changes. . . .
As for perspective, Dorsher stands out as the candidate best suited to represent the broad array of voters in this district, which covers south and west St. Cloud, Waite Park and St. Augusta.The DFLer mostly favors Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget proposal, but she also stressed the importance of low taxes, creating a good business environment and examining ways to improve state services.
Theis speaks for only one voice — business owners. Granted, that is an important constituency, but most District 14A residents aren’t part of that circle.
McKee might be the most fiscally conservative, but he lacks perspective on the realities of state government. . . .
Read the whole endorsement at the Times. The editorial notes that Dorsher should resist her "DFL advisers’ penchant for control." Sound advice, indeed.
Although Bluestem anticipates that our conservative blogging brethren will begin to pout about "liberal media bias," the St. Cloud Times doesn't hasn't had an inclination to recommend DFLers in this particular district.
The editorial board endorsed Gottwalt and the other two Republicans running in for the legislature in 2012; it endorsed Gottwalt in 2010 ("EDITORIAL: Hentges, Gottwalt, Banaian in District 15,' St. Cloud Times, October 19, 2010, Nexis All-News, accessed 2/3/2013) 2008 ("15A, 15B incumbents should get 2nd terms," St. Cloud Times, October 15, 2008, Nexis All-News, accessed 2/3/2013) and 2006 (Randy Krebs, "Gottwalt, Haws, Clark best choices in strong field," St. Cloud Times, October 22, 2006, Nexis All-News, accessed 2/3/2013).
In 2004, the paper endorsed incumbent Jim Knoblach (Randy Krebs, "Knoblach should be in District 15A hot seat," October 25, 2004, Nexis All-News, accessed 2/3/2013). Bluestem had to go back to 2002 to find an endorsement of a DFL candidate for this seat by the Times (Rand Krebs, "Kostreba has priorities in right order to lead 15A," St. Cloud Times, October 20, 2002, Nexis All-News, accessed 2/3/2013).
Before last year's redistricting, the area was numbered Senate District 15.
To read more about the HD 14A candidates' positions, check out Times' staff writer's Ben Katzner's coverage of yesterday's League of Women Voters' candidate forum, 14A candidates address issues
Special elections will be held in Minnesota House Districts 14A and 19A on February 12.
Photo: Joanne Dorsher, via campaign Facebook page.
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