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Unions aren't united in Minn. governor's race

By BRIAN BAKST , Associated Press

Last update: October 22, 2009 - 2:04 PM

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ST. PAUL, Minn. - Carpenters want state Sen. Tom Bakk. The nurses union is behind state Rep. Paul Thissen. Teamsters are backing Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who hasn't even declared his gubernatorial candidacy yet. Others are on the fence.

Labor unions, a powerful constituency in Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, are fractured over a 2010 governor's race with many candidates to choose from and no clear favorite.

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty isn't seeking another term, leading to a crush of candidates from both parties. Democrats haven't won a governor's race since 1986.

The labor divide could loom large at next April's DFL endorsing convention. If past patterns hold, about a third of delegates will have union ties. It takes a 60 percent convention vote to win the party's backing.

"It's pretty clear there's not going to be a consensus labor candidate," said strategist Ken Martin, who ran the 2006 campaign of Democratic nominee Mike Hatch and is unaligned in the current race. "It's very disconcerting from an operative standpoint thinking about how you win a race when you have people all over the map on this deal."

For candidates, labor endorsements are valuable commodities. They can signal momentum for a campaign trying to stand out in a crowded field. They provide a ready-made base of volunteers willing to knock on doors, staff phone banks or fill out delegate slates. They bring dollars.

For unions, a well-timed endorsement can open government doors and influence public policy if their candidate is ultimately elected.

On Saturday, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5 holds its candidate screening. As the dominant state workers union, its endorsement is a big prize. About 200 AFSCME members were delegates to the 2006 DFL convention and the group spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in that year's campaign, said executive director Eliot Seide.

He said union leaders will weigh the candidates on several factors but pay the most attention to electability.

"It's not enough to be good on AFSCME issues," Seide said. "The candidates have to demonstrate how they can get elected — what kind of campaign organization they set up, what campaign strategy they have, their ability to raise money and their statewide appeal."

Seide said it's not clear how soon AFSCME leaders will make their pick.

Education Minnesota, a union that represents the state's teachers, evaluated the candidates this month and put off a decision until December at the earliest. The Service Employees International Union, which backed Hatch early and ardently in 2006, is waiting until next year to weigh in on this race.

"We want to give it a little more time to see who the best candidate is," said SEIU's Javier Morillo. "My mantra on this is we care far too much about winning to be able to afford to fall in love."

The North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters was the first to take sides when it backed Bakk, a retired carpenter and union official. The Teamsters Local 120 mentioned Rybak's prominent role in President Barack Obama's Minnesota campaign in its endorsement. The Minnesota Nurses Association said Thissen's legislative work on health issues was key.

With several candidates holding key posts in the Legislature, the unions are in a tricky spot because they risk alienating candidates who are passed over.

"I don't think there's ever been this many legislators running," said state Rep. Tom Rukavina, one of 11 declared Democrats in the race. "It makes people kind of nervous."

Rukavina said union heads should consider endorsing multiple candidates, and he touts his record of sponsoring minimum wage bills and other labor-friendly measures as the reason he should get union nods.

"I carried their legislation when nobody else would. I live and breathe labor, it's as simple as that," Rukavina said. "I don't carry my union card in my wallet. I carry my union card in my heart."

Other Democrats in the race are former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, former state Rep. Matt Entenza, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, former state Sen. Steve Kelley, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, state Sen. John Marty, businessman Peter Roess and painter Ole Savior.

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