Political Notebook

Norton backs election law changes in wake of Rochester City Council president race

A Rochester lawmaker is backing a bill that would make it easier to remove a candidate's name from the ballot if he or she dies after filing for office.

Assistant House Majority Leader Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, introduced the bill today. The goal is to prevent what happened during Rochester's most recent city council president race. In June, long-time Rochester City Council President Dennis Hanson died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm shortly after filing for office. But under state law, Hanson's name could not be removed from the ballot and the filing period could not be reopened. That left one other candidate on the ballot — Jan Throndson. Ultimately, Hanson's family launched a campaign urging voters to vote for Hanson as a way to force a primary election and provide voters with a choice. Rochester attorney Jeff Thompson also launched a write-in bid. Hanson ended up winning with more than 51 percent of the vote. The special election is set for March 19, with a filing period from Jan. 22 to Feb. 5.

Norton's bill would allow for a candidate's name to be removed from the ballot in a nonpartisan race if the death occurs at least 84 days before the general election. A five-day filing period would open up and there would be no primary with all the candidate's names appearing on the general election ballot. She has asked Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, to sponsor the bill in the Senate.

While the legislation is not ideal, Norton said it's the best option lawmakers have to address the problem. Tying their hands is a strict election timeline to ensure there is enough time to mail and receive back military and overseas ballots. The bill also excludes judicial elections from the new provisions because of a recent judge race where 23 candidates appeared on the general election ballot. There is the potential this new law could result in a slew of candidates ending up on a ballot for nonpartisan races, but Norton said this law will only be triggered on very rare occasions and appeared to be the best option available. After working with officials at the Minnesota Secretary of State's office on the bill, she discovered there simply would not be enough time to allow for a primary election if a death happened within 84 days of a general election because of a requirement enough time be available for a recount.

"This was very sensitive and tough for our community. It was tough certainly for Dennis' family to have to go through that, and I anticipate that others will be interested in signing on (to the bill)," she said.

Liebling draws attention to Dallemand donation to Bly

DFL Rep. Tina Liebling is drawing attention to the fact that former Rochester Superintendent Romain Dallemand donated money to her Republican opponent, Rochester School Board member Breanna Bly. Liebling sent out the following tweet this morning: "Controversial former #Rochmn school superintendent--now in Georgia--made big donation to my opp's campaign."

Dallemand donated $250 to Bly's campaign. The former superintendent's tenure as head of Rochester Public Schools was rocky at times. He left in 2011 to become the superintendent of Bibb County Schools in Macon, Ga. Bly has served 12 years on the Rochester School Board.

The race between Bly and Liebling is drawing big money from outside groups supporting the Republican candidate's bid to unseat the four-term DFL incumbent. Recently-released campaign reports show Bly has received about $83,000 in support from Republicans and business-related political committees. Liebling has not been getting any significant funding from the party or third-party groups.

BLOG UPDATE: Just got a call from Bly reacting to Liebling's tweet about Dallemand's donation. She said she was "saddened" by it and that Dallemand chose to support her based on her work on the school board.

"He saw my work ethic, he knows my passion and care for kids and regardless of what some people in this town thought of him, I am grateful that he thinks I would do a great job representing the best interests of students across the state," she said.

Click here to Download Bly's campaign report and here to Download Liebling's campaign report

New converative group targets Norton/Valeriano race

Rochester Republican Melissa Valeriano is one of five candidates expected to receive support from a new political committee aimed at electing conservatives to the Legislature.

The committee's founder, Andy Parish, said the group is zeroing in on the House District 25 race because it believes that newcommer Valeriano can defeat four-term DFL incumbent Kim Norton.

"I believe it is a winnable race. After redistricting it became a lot more competitive," he said.

Parrish cites some analysis that shows the district, which covers northwest Rochester, leaning slightly Republican.

This is the only race being targeted in southeast Minnesota by the group for this election. But they are already looking ahead to 2014 and want to play a significant role in the gubernatorial and senate races, Parrish said. The group's creation is in response to Alliance for a Better Minnesota, which works to elect DFL candidates to office.

Parrish declined to say how the campaign plans to support Valeriano, citing Minnesota campaign laws that prevent them from cooperating with the candidate. But he added she will receive "significant resources."

Nelson declines Moen's request for additional debates

Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, has declined her DFL opponents request for a series of additional debates. In a written statement, the Rochester Republican said there are already plenty of debates scheduled. Here is the entire statement:

"This senate district has a rich history of providing many opportunities to debate the issues.

We have already had a candidate forum which has since been broadcast on cable TV.  The Rochester Area Builders will be holding our Candidate Forum on Sept. 25, 2012.  The League of Women Voters, Chamber or Commerce and the Rochester Post Bulletin have scheduled debates for Senate District 26 on October 22, 2012.   Many more debates or forums are in the process of being scheduled.  I recall forums for seniors, townships, NAMI, the Tea Party and the LTC initiative just to name a few.  The Post Bulletin will be publishing candidate profiles following our interviews with the PB editorial staff.  In addition KSMQ traditionally provides a televised 30 minute forum that is rebroadcast multiple times for each legislative race in our area.  I will be participating in each of these in addition to the “Candidates and Issues” campaign sponsored by KTTC.   I do not see any reason for addition debates beyond the many opportunities already provided in this district. 

I look forward to being on the dais with Mr. Moen to discuss our views about the challenges and opportunities for Minnesota citizens and their government.   I am confident that the public will have ample opportunity to distinguish the differences between the views held by Mr. Moen and me.  In addition to the debates, my record of driving government effectiveness and efficiency and  balancing the budget to live within our means speaks for itself."

Moen challenges Nelson to more debates

Senate District 26 DFL candidate Ken Moen is challenging his GOP rival to a series of debates.

Moen sent out a news release calling on Sen. Carla Nelson to agree to several additional debates. The two are set to square-off at an evening debate on Oct. 22in Rochester sponsored by the Minnesota League of Women Voters. But the Moen campaign argues that one 45-minute debate is not enough time to address the concerns of voters.

The Democrat's campaign said it has sent a letter to Nelson's home and Senate email address about the debate request and wants a response within 10 days. Moen's campaign suggests that the debates be facilitated by a neutral party and cover a range of  topics. Both of the candidates would have the chance to suggest topics for the debate. The Moen campaign also wants the debates to be free and open to the public.

It says that a letter was being sent to Nelson's home and her Senate email address asking her to respond to his request within 10 days.

Minnesotan featured in anti-Romney ads to stop in Rochester

A Minnesotan who plays a prominent role in an anti-Mitt Romney ad will stop in Rochester as part of a statewide tour to campaign for President Barack Obama.

David Foster was the lead negotiator for steelworkers at GST Steel in Kansas City. The company went bankrupt in 1993 after being taken over by Bain Capital while Romney was at the helm. A total of 750 steelworkers lost their jobs. Foster will be taking part in Obama for America's "Minnesota Made" tour and is expected to talk about the importance of a strong manufacturing sector. The tour kicks-off in southern Minnesota with stops tomorrow in Mankato, Rochester and Winona. 

Obama has blasted his Republican rival for his time at Bain Capital and the number of jobs eliminated. Romney has defended his time at the private equity firm, arguing that unlike Obama he has experience in the private sector and is better qualified to fix the economy.

Obama re-election campaign kicks-off in Rochester

The local push to re-elect Democratic President Barack Obama officially kicks-off in Rochester on Saturday.

Local Democrats will gather at the Obama for America Office at 1107 7th St. N.W. as part of a "Day of Action." The event starts at 10 a.m. with Jeff Blodgett, state director for Obama for America — Minnesota, addressing campaign volunteers. Also expected to attend are Blair Jasper, regional field director for the 1st Congressional District and staffer Nick Coe. The official grand opening for the campaign office will be June 22 and 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz is expected to speak.

After the opening comments, volunteers will hit the streets to start knocking on doors with the goal of getting Democrats elected in November. At 1 p.m., volunteers will celebrate the start of the 2012 campaign season at Rochester's Democratic Party Office for a barbecue featuring burgers and hot dogs. Volunteers will have the chance to talk to local DFL legislative candidates July Ohly, John Vossen, Kim Norton, Ken Moen, Tina Liebling and Pat Stallman.

Kline attends Red Wing forum as race heats up

Second Congressional District Rep. John Kline will travel to Red Wing today to meet with area business leaders and answer questions. The Republican will attend a lunch hour forum at the St. James Hotel sponsored by the Red Wing Area Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters.

Kline's visit to Red Wing comes at a time when the congressman is expected to face his biggest election challenge since winning the seat in 2002. Thanks to redistricting, the district's boundaries have become more friendly to Democrats. Kline's DFL challenger Mike Obermueller also got a boost this week. The Demcoratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Obermueller has earned a spot on their "Red to Blue" list of targeted race. That brings with it the potential for financial and strategic help.

But there's no doubt it's still an uphill climb for Obermueller. The Cook Political Report, University of Virginia's Center for Politics and Roll Call all rate the district as "likely Republican" at this point. In 2010, Kline trounced DFL challenger Shelley Madore, winning with more than 63 percent of the vote.

Parry and Quist to court local Tea Party voters

1st District Republican candidates Mike Parry and Allen Quist are both expected to attend a candidate's forum on Thursday night sponsored by the Rochester Area Tea Party Patriots.

Also scheduled to attend are two GOP candidates vying for the chance to run against DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar — Joe Arwood and Anthony Hernandez. A third candidate, Dan Severson, is unable to attend.

The "Meet the Candidates" event will be at 7 p.m. in the meeting room at Godfathers Pizza, 1611 16th Street N.W. in Rochester. Each candidate will be given a few minutes to introduce themselves, discuss their qualifications for office and outline their top political priorities.

Local banker to run for Minnesota House seat

After years of being active in DFL politics behind the scenes, Pat Stallman announced he will run for the Minnesota House.

According to current legislative district boundaries, that would pit Stallman against first-term Republican Rep. Mike Benson. But the courts will not release the new redistricting maps until Feb. 21.

Stallman, 60, of Rochester, works as a business banker at Olmsted National Bank. With plans to retire March 31, Stallman said he decided it was the right time to run for office.

"I have spent most of my time making a living and raising a family, and now that I have an opportunity to retire and devote full time to a political position and an office, it's time to do it," he said.

Stallman said he wants to run because he believes lawmakers have unfairly increased the tax burden on property owners by getting rid of the Market Value Homestead Credit program. He also opposes borrowing money from K-12 schools to help balance the budget.

"That's no way to run a government, that's no way to run a school district and it's no way to run a business," he said.

Stallman said he supports DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's proposal to raise income taxes on wealthier Minnesotans to help address the state's long-term budget problems.

Stallman is Olmsted County DFL treasurer. He has a degree in agricultural economics and has spent 40 years working in the financial services sector.