Earlier this week, I noted I'd be looking for embeddable videos of Minnesota House legislative forums. Bluestem started with [VIDEO] Watch MNHouse 24B seat candidates Rep. Tina Liebling and Dan Sepeda debate.
That's a safe DFL seat in Rochester. The Bluestem post drew from Post Bulletin coverage and the Rochester Public Library's YouTube of the forum.
Matt Stolle covered the second Rochester area district forum in the Post Bulletin article, Rep. Kim Hicks, Ken Navitsky clash over solutions to strengthen the state in legislative forum. The extended lede:
ROCHESTER — DFL Rep. Kim Hicks and GOP challenger Ken Navitsky offered different solutions to statewide challenges and differed on issues ranging from how to create a business-friendly climate to tackling a state deficit to adopting an Equal Rights Amendment.
The two are competing to represent House District 25A. The forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters Rochester in conjunction with the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce and the Post Bulletin, and held at the Rochester Public Library. . . .
was followed in Stolle's copy by consideration of responses of the candidates to specific questions. One gets a good sense of the candidates' differing views.
Here's the Rochester Public Library's YouTube of the House 25A forum:
And Thursday night's forum with incumbent DFLer Andy Smith and endorsed Republican candidate Wes Lund? Stolle reports in House candidate Wes Lund a no-show at League of Women Voters forum:
Rep. Andy Smith had the stage to himself as Lund had signaled his intention not to participate.
ROCHESTER — Wes Lund was a no-show.
Lund, the GOP challenger to state DFL Rep. Andy Smith for the House District 25B seat, failed to attend a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters Rochester in conjunction with the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the Post Bulletin, and held at the Rochester Public Library.
His absence did not come as a complete surprise. He telegraphed his intention not to attend. He had made a counteroffer to attend a forum held at the park behind Mayo Civic Center.
A spokesperson for the League said Lund had hung up twice on a League representative trying to arrange the forum. In a later phone conversation, Lund said he wouldn’t be in attendance because he had to work until 10 p.m.
Lund made his name mocking local government with antics like wearing masks or reading a Dr. Seuss book at public meetings. Lund has attended numerous Rochester School Board and City Council meetings in the past, setting up his tripod to videotape local elected officials or himself and later posting the videos on his social media accounts, often to lampoon and criticize them.
In a phone conversation after the forum, Lund said he could not attend because of a conflict with work. Lund, who works in retail, said he was at work at the moment and didn't have much time to talk, sometimes lowering his voice. Lund also said he disagreed with the League format and the location. . . .
Read the rest at the Post Bulletin. If you want to know what Smith said as he "answered questions from moderators and the audience for half an hour," you're out of luck. It's not in Stolle's copy, nor has a YouTube been posted on the library's website.
UPDATE September 15: In an unlisted YouTube uploaded by the Rochester Public Library on Saturday--and link shared on the League of Women Voters-Rochester, Minnesota Facebook page, Andy Smith answers questions:
END UPDATE
Lund has his own conspiratorial post about that on his campaign Facebook page. Heckova take:
Not the face of leadership, but what would Bluestem know? Perhaps he's the Royce White of Med City.
Photo: Kim Hicks and Ken Navitsky at the candidate forum hosted by The League of Women Voters on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 at the Rochester Public Library in Rochester. Lily Dozier / Post Bulletin.
Related posts
- [VIDEO] Watch MNHouse 24B seat candidates Rep. Tina Liebling and Dan Sepeda debate.
- News digest: Masked vandals violate Rochester area MN state representative Kim Hicks' home and yard signs with racist & Nazi graffiti
- Complaint filed against Hicks by election denier dismissed; Hicks is Make Liberty Win target
- MNGOP candidates' fears prompt venue to make "Why Does MN Lean So Far Left?" nonpolitical
- Things to do in Rochester MN: Meeting Tree Place repeats anti-Muslim crackpots in 2020
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6
Comments