politics

Heads of the state's three major political parties joined hands in a rare moment of unity on Thursday to try to pump fresh life into a perennial proposal in Minnesota -- to move the state's primary from September to June.

The idea has been around for more than a decade, but party leaders say that this year they have the momentum to make a change that will start the political process earlier than ever.

"This is not a group that comes together easily or quickly," said Sen. Dan Larson, DFL-Bloomington, pointing to leaders of the Republican, DFL and Independence parties, along with a bipartisan array of legislators.

Moving up the primary would trigger other changes to lengthen the political season. Supporters say that party endorsing conventions, now held in June, would be moved up, possibly to May. Caucuses now held in March would move to February.

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, a longtime opponent of the idea, said on Thursday that he sees no outcry from the public for a longer campaign season.

"You stand on any street corner and ask the people who go by whether campaigns are too short or too long," Marty said. "I bet 98 percent would say they're too long."

Proponents say an earlier primary would allow more time to discuss issues during the general election, which would be stretched from about eight weeks to nearly five months.

A campaign industry?

The notion has been debated at least since 1995, when a bipartisan commission urged the earlier primary. It has passed in the Senate several times.

This year, the bills introduced in the House and Senate already have support from the committee chairs who would hear them first. Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, said he thought the Senate likely would pass such a bill.

The Council for Electoral Leadership, a bipartisan coalition that includes top financiers of DFL and GOP campaigns, noted that in 2004 turnout for the September primary was 6 percent.

Kelly Doran, a former DFL candidate for U.S. Senate and governor, who leads the council, said the issue has given the parties common ground.

"This will create an opportunity for more retail politics," he said. The current general election season is so compressed, he said, that candidates have a hard time getting their message out.

Marty said he thinks there's another reason: the continued buildup of what has become a powerful industry in itself -- the business of campaigns.

"Look who's backing this," he said. "Some of the wealthiest campaign contributors, the parties, interest groups and whole bunch of lobbyists."

By extending the general election season, he said, "the real difference the public will see is that instead of TV ads in July and August, we'll have TV ads starting in March or April."

Patricia Lopez • 651-222-1288 • plopez@startribune.com