Representative Mary Franson isn't the first sitting Republican representative Perham's Sue Nelson has challenged for the party's endorsement.
However popular the Tea Party and Republican activist's supporters claim that she is, her earlier ambitions were thwarted in 2010 when she unsuccessfully challenged freshman Mark Murdock (R-Ottertail). On May 8, 2010, the Staples World reported in Area political races begin to take shape:
Also on March 27, Republicans endorsed State Rep. Mark Murdock, of Perham, for a second term for the District 10B House seat.
Murdock outpolled challenger Sue Nelson for the endorsement. To win the endorsement, a candidate needed 60 percent of the votes cast and Murdock achieved that total on the third ballot.
“Now we need to come together and win as a unit in November,” Murdock said. “Jobs and education will remain priorities for me in a second term, along with traditional values like pro-life.”
Other articles about Nelson's 2010 quest, like State House Rep. nominated after inner-party challenge, are archived behind firewalls and are not in the Nexis database or the Way Back Machine.
After two terms, Murdock retired. In January 2012, the Star Tribune reported, Citing family, Perham Republican Mark Murdock says he won't run for 3rd term in Minn. House. Later, the portion of the open seat where Nelson lives was redistricted into 8B, where Franson was the sitting House member.
Since the detailed coverage of the 2010 district convention fight is behind firewalls, it's unclear why Nelson felt she would be a better representative than Murdock. In Forum political reporter Don Davis does mention in Retiring lawmakers different, but with similarities that Murdock did catch heat on one issue:
He recalled crossing party lines and voting with Democrats on a bill that allows law enforcement officers to stop vehicles for seat belt violations.
“I really caught heck from the right,” he said. “It is a mandate, but it saves lives.”
While the Republican right did not like that vote, Murdock said that since he joined the Legislature he has become more conservative after seeing government waste.
Again, that 2009 kerfuffle might be unrelated to Nelson's 2010 challenge, and the bill was sponsored by a bipartisan coalition that included Republican stalwarts like Tony Cornish--and signed by a Republican governor.
In an article about his announcement of his retirement in Session Weekly (p. 18), Murdock talked about his desire to be a representative rather than a politician, concluding that he came to the House with the goal of reaching across the aisle and was proud of the friendships he'd made.
Perhaps it was that spirit that rankled Nelson who, like Mary Franson, sees liberal "tentacles" as a menace.
Or maybe it was her Tea Party ideology whispering in her ear. In February 2010, she told a Perham Tea Party rally:
“Of the people, by the people and for the people,” Nelson said. “That is not a party thing, it is a Constitution thing.”
Nelson blames both Democrats and Republican politicians for creating big government.
“Big government is not the answer and it is high time we realize that, knock off the party crap and recognize first and foremost we are Americans and read the Constitution,” she said.
Or perhaps she simply feels she's entitled to sit in the Minnesota House of Representatives, incumbent Republicans or not.
Read more about Nelson from a press release-y news brief in the Alexandria Echo (nothing about the Murdock challenge).
Over at Let Freedom Ring, conservative blogger Gary Gross asks the candidates to play nice.
Photo: Mark Murdock, R-Perham, who served two terms in the Minnesota House from 2009-2012 (Legislative history here). In addition to authoring legislation related to the manufactured home industry, Murdock authored one bill to make Lester the Minnesota state soil (another version became law). Perhaps politics really are dirty up there.
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