The Minnesota DFL Party is apologizing to an Anoka County Board candidate for mistakenly endorsing her in next month's nonpartisan election.
Cindy Hansen, who is running for the Sixth District seat against incumbent Jeff Reinert, said she did not solicit the endorsement of the DFL, which likely would not be a big help in the traditionally conservative district.
Her name and photo were included on a sample ballot listing local DFL candidates.
"While I welcome support from all political sides in this nonpartisan race, I need to state, unequivocally, that I have never sought nor received the support or endorsement from the local Democrat party committees in District 6," Hansen wrote in a Facebook post.
"That means the State DFL Party is WRONG to list me as a local DFL candidate."
Brian Evans, communications director for the Minnesota DFL, issued this statement: "A clerical error resulted in the DFL Party listing Cindy Hansen as an endorsed candidate when that was not the case. We have offered Hansen our apologies and will ensure she is not listed as endorsed in the future."
Joel Juen, DFL Senate District 38 chairman, said it was a miscommunication between the party's central committee and the state DFL. He said Hansen's photo was lifted from her campaign website, though she had neither requested support nor approved any expenditure made by the DFL on her behalf.
Wes Volkenant, chair of the Anoka County DFL, said in a post that some voters in District 38A received the sample ballot that endorsed Hansen. "This is an error on the part of the State DFL," Volkenant said.
