Marty Seifert, a former Republican House leader who ran for governor twice, will join Flaherty & Hood as a lobbyist, the firm said on Friday.
The St. Paul law and legislative advocacy firm represents Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, Greater Minnesota Partnership and U.S. Highway 14 Partnership, among others, which makes it a natural fit, Seifert said.
"I want to believe in what I'm doing," Seifert said.
Seifert, who lives in Marshall, represented his hometown in the Minnesota House from 1997 to 2010, rising to be the Republican minority leader. In 2010, he ran for governor and fell to Tom Emmer, now an incoming U.S. House member, in an endorsement fight.
This year, he ran for governor again. He vied in a primary in August, winning the significant support in outstate Minnesota, but came third place statewide.
Along the way, formed relationships with many lawmakers. Seifert's first campaign was managed by Incoming House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, and Seifert said he knows, and even first recruited, many of the incoming Republican freshmen.
"Obviously, the speaker is a friend of mine, the committee chairs are friends and a lot of Democrats are friends," Seifert said.
Seifert will have the company making the switch to lobbying. Former Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, former Senate Minority Leader Dick Day are both now registered lobbyists as are an assortment of former Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
Photo: Marty Seifert campaigning in 2014/Source: Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune
