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With an insider’s eye, Hot Dish tracks the tastiest bits of Minnesota’s political scene and keep you up-to-date on those elected to serve you.

Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Mike Kaszuba, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Brad Schrade and Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. Contributors in D.C.: Kevin Diaz and Corey Mitchell.

Posts about 2nd District

Dayton interviews MnSCU board finalists

Posted by: Jennifer Brooks Updated: July 25, 2012 - 11:10 AM

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From the Star Tribune's  Morning Hot Dish newsletter:

Gov. Mark Dayton will continue vetting candidates for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System board of trustees Wednesday.

The governor will pick six new trustees: two at-large, one representative each for the Second and Sixth Congressional Districts, and two student trustees to drawn from the technical and community colleges in the system.

According to the governor’s office, finalists for the board include: (former House Speaker and 2010 Dayton rival) Margaret Anderson Kelliher, (public affairs pro and wife of former DFL chair) Dawn Erlandson, (longtime lobbyist) John Kaul, Ann Anaya, Readus Fletcher, Sarah Caruso, Brian Myres, Wynn Kearney, Mary Hickerson, Alex Cirillo, Joseph Grafft and Janet Mohr. Dayton is expected to announce his decisions soon.

Caruso, Anderson Kelliher, Erlandson, Fletcher, Kearney and Hickerson are under consideration for the two at-large trustee positions. Kaul, Myres, Cirillo and Grafft are up for either the at-large seat or district six. And Anaya and Mohr finalists for either the second district seat or an at-large trustee position.

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Obermueller raised $250K in two months in bid to unseat Kline

Posted by: Corey Mitchell Updated: July 9, 2012 - 2:15 PM

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Former DFL state Rep. Mike Obermueller, a U.S. House candidate in Minnesota's Second Congressional District, raised $252,976 in the second quarter of this year in his bid to unseat Republican John Kline.

"I'm proud to have the support of so many people who want to end the gridlock in Washington," Obermueller said in a statement. "We are building a grassroots campaign to create jobs, cut spending and reinstate middle class priorities."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which backs Democrats in competitive U.S. House races, has pledged to support Obermueller's campaign, offering communications and strategic support.

"Raising $250,000 in a two-month period, we're very proud of that," said Obermueller's campaign manager Matt Larson. "It is a direct product of the fact that our message is resonating."

Obermueller began fundraising after winning the DFL endorsement at the end of April and still has more than $214,400 banked for his campaign. But his fundraising haul still leaves him more than a million dollars behind Kline, a veteran incumbent who chairs the influential U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Kline reported raising $428,000 during the second quarter of 2012 and has more than $1.3 million in the bank for his re-election bid, a campaign spokesman said. He has represented the Second Congressional District since 2003 and has handily won each election since, but redrawn political maps have left him with a less conservative district.

David Gerson, who will face Kline in the Republican primary, has not released his fundraising data. June 30 marked the deadline for the campaign finance reporting period that covered the months of April, May and June, but candidates have until Sunday to report their final number to the Federal Election Commission.

Kline raised $428,000 for re-election bid in second quarter

Posted by: Corey Mitchell Updated: July 6, 2012 - 5:04 PM

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Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline, who represents Minnesota's Second Congressional District, raised $428,000 for his re-election campaign during the second quarter of 2012.

Kline's campaign reports that he now has $1,337,000 banked for his re-election bid. June 30 was the deadline for the campaign finance reporting period that covered the months of April, May and June.

The other candidates on the ballot, Republican David Gerson and DFL candidate Mike Obermueller, have yet to release any fundraising numbers. Gerson will take on Kline in the August primary with the winner advancing to face Obermueller in November.

Kline has served the Second Congressional District since 2003 and chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee. He won his last election by more than 25 percentage points, but redrawn political maps carved out Republican-leaning portions of his suburban and rural district, adding several areas with more DFL support.

Looking to capitalize on the boundary changes, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Obermueller to its "Red to Blue" list for this fall's election -- an indication that party leaders in Washington, D.C., intend to lend support to Obermueller's campaign. The "Red to Blue" program marshals party resources for competitive Democratic campaigns, offering financial, communications and strategic support.

Obermueller is an attorney who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011. Gerson works for a global engineering company.

Kline: "Illegal immigrants should not be rewarded for breaking our laws"

Posted by: Corey Mitchell Updated: June 16, 2012 - 7:37 AM

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President Barack Obama's decision to spare young illegal immigrants deportation drew a pointed response from a Minnesota lawmaker.

In an email sent to supporters Friday, U.S. Rep. John Kline wrote that Obama "breached faith with the American people by granting amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants."

The White House estimates the policy change will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants.

Under Obama's plan, undocumented immigrants will not be deported if they came to the United States before age 16 and are currently younger than 30, have been in the country for five years, have no criminal record and either graduated from high school in the United States, earned a GED here or served in the military. People who qualify would be allowed to work in the country for two years and could be eligible for permit extensions.

Kline's letter suggested the new policy is an insult to millions of unemployed Americans struggling to find work.

"America is a nation of immigrants. Our grandparents and great grandparents came to this country legally to work hard, learn English, assimilate to the culture, and make contributions to this great nation. They would be the first to tell you that we are also a nation of laws and we must enforce our laws," Kline's email.

"Accordingly, I support legal immigration, but I oppose all forms of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants should not be rewarded for breaking our laws."

Obama's plan bypasses the will of Congress, which has blocked legislation that would create a pathway to citizenship  for young people who came to the United States illegally if they enroll in college or the military.

Kline's represents Minnesota's Second Congressional District, which covers the south Twin Cities metro area.

 

Obermueller campaign against Kline gets a boost

Posted by: Corey Mitchell Updated: June 12, 2012 - 6:41 AM

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added Mike Obermueller, who is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline, to the top of its "Red to Blue" list for this fall's election -- an indication that Obermueller's campaign will receive support from Washington, D.C.

DCCC leaders added Obermueller to their "Emerging Races" list earlier this year and have now promoted him to the top tier, which means national Democrats now consider his candidacy among the most competitive in the nation.

"Mike is first and foremost a problem solver who Minnesota families can count on to overcome partisanship and put Minnesota middle class families, seniors, and small businesses before Washington special interests, millionaires and Big Oil," said DCCC chairman Steve Israel in a statement.

The "Red to Blue" program highlights top Democratic campaigns and races across the country, and offers them financial, communications, organizing and strategic support.

So far, Obermueller is the only Minnesota candidate at the top on the list. The DCCC, the campaign arm of the U.S. House of Representatives, helps newcomers get elected and supports Democratic incumbents in districts that are expected to have close elections.

"Our message of creating jobs, standing up for middle class families, ending Congressional perks and cutting through the gridlock in Washington has been resonating throughout the region," Obermueller said in a release. "The early strength we have demonstrated by being named to the Red to Blue program means we have the support, confidence, and momentum necessary to win in November."

Kline's campaign declined comment on the DCCC targeting his seat.

Kline has served the Second Congressional District since 2003. When the state's political boundaries were redrawn this year, he lost Republican-leaning portions of his district and picked up parts of the state with more DFL voters.

Before his Congressional run, Obermueller served two years in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing a district that covers Eagan from 2009 to 2011.

The most recent campaign finance reports, which cover fundraising through the end of March, show Kline with a significant fundraising advantage in the race. Kline has more than $1 million banked for his re-election campaign; Obermueller -- who didn't secure the Democratic nomination until after the last filing deadline -- had no campaign funds then.

June 30 is the deadline for the next campaign finance reporting period. Obermueller's addition to the "Red to Blue" list could send a signal to potential donors that he is a candidate with a shot at winning the seat.

 

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