Iraq vet will fight Kline for 2nd District

Iraq war veteran and former Watertown mayor Steve Sarvi captured the DFL endorsement on Saturday to oppose Republican Rep. John Kline in the Second Congressional District.

"I need all your help," Sarvi told the Second District convention. "I need your prayers and your support, I need you to join our team."

DFLers are hoping that Sarvi will be able to pull off what their past three endorsees have not been able to -- defeat Kline in one of the state's most conservative districts. According to the Cook Political Report, which lists competitive congressional races nationwide, Kline's seat isn't considered vulnerable.

Kline has taken the district by 16 percentage points in the past two elections and so far has an enormous fundraising advantage over Sarvi. Kline has more than $500,000 in cash on hand for the race, while Sarvi has $38,600.

But in the 2006 U.S. Senate race, local DFLers note, Democrat Amy Klobuchar carried the district with 53.4 percent of the vote compared with Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy's 42.9 percent. And there are now more DFL state legislators than Republicans from the district.

Peter Idusogie, a first-generation American who ran for the 2004 DFL nomination but lost to Teresa Daly, also sought the endorsement Saturday, but withdrew from the race before the results of the first ballot were announced.

Kline's representatives declined to comment on the endorsement.

Sarvi is now the third Iraq veteran running for Congress in Minnesota as a Democrat this fall: The other two are Ashwin Madia, the endorsed DFL candidate in the Third District, and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, who represents the state's First District.

"A year ago, I was slogging away in the heat in Iraq," Sarvi told the convention, "and I thought about this journey. I had just read a book by the Wellstone campaign. I read the thing cover to cover, and stumbled out into a star-filled night, and I thought, 'This could actually work.'"

Also Saturday, DFLers meeting in downtown Duluth endorsed by voice vote longtime U.S. Rep. James Oberstar for another term as Eighth District congressman. Oberstar was first elected to the seat in 1974.

Joe Moren of Hibbing, who chairs the Senate District 5 DFL, said that Oberstar is revered in northeastern Minnesota and is considered even more valuable now that he is chairman of the important House Transportation Committee.

"He's been loved for a long, long time," Moren said. "We hope he stays and stays and stays."

Staff writer Larry Oakes contributed to this report. Emily Johns • 952-882-9056