Chaudhary: Unbowed by criticism

In the face of criticism over his connections to outdoors advocates and in advance of a vote on removing his DFL re-election endorsement, Minnesota Sen. Satveer Chaudhary said Sunday that he's confident in his positions.

At an India Association of Minnesota event, the DFL senator said a Star Tribune piece which said he "struggles to hang on to his party endorsement and fend off a primary challenger" while "other concerns have emerged about how the three-term senator wields power and who has his ear" simply displayed the strength of his advocacy.

"I thought it showed how strong a voice for sportsmen I am," he said and his willingness to "buck the system to do it."

The senator from Fridley said as he's campaigned in his district since ethics questions arose and the response from voters has been "heartwarming."

"People really like the work I'm doing," he said.

His local DFL activists will vote later this month on whether to strip him of his party endorsement, a move prompted by publicity around a last minute legislative move he made to change fishing regulations on a lake where he has a cabin. But, he said, rules require a two-thirds vote in favor of removing his endorsement -- a supermajority he doesn't think exists.

"I've got well over the amount needed to block," he said.

DFL candidate Matt Entenza used part of his time before the crowd to praise Chaudhary as a "stand out."

"The measure of a man, and a woman for that matter, is all of their work and I'm proud that he's been a colleague of mine in the sum total of his work," said Entenza, who served in the Minnesota House while Chaudhary was a House member.

DFL candidate Mark Dayton, whom Chaudhary publicly supported earlier this year, did not mention Chaudhary during his remarks from the stage.

Since the controversy over Chaudhary's legislative actions appeared, Dayton has publicly distanced himself from the state senator.