North-suburban House race illustrates differences

Rep. Mark Uglem retired after a successful career as a paint manufacturing entrepreneur. Jefferson Fietek is a middle school teacher who runs a successful after-school drama program.

Champlin Republican. Coon Rapids Democrat.

Those are just the start of the differences in this race for Minnesota state House District 36A, which straddles Hennepin and Anoka counties in the north suburbs.

Uglem, a first-term Republican, emphasizes his business experience and said he brings important expertise lacking in the DFL-controlled House.

"Companies have to make payroll, they have human resources, sales and marketing. Throw a bunch of taxes on there, and there's not much left," he said.

Fietek said he would bring valuable experience as a teacher and volunteer community activist who has sought to protect vulnerable young people. Fietek's adopted son was once his foster child, and Fietek started Young Artists Initiative, which seeks to help at-risk kids through the arts; and Justin's Gift, an antibullying and mental health group.

The suburban swing district of strip malls and subdivisions has often elected Democratic legislators but has supported Republicans in recent presidential and gubernatorial elections. Democrats hope Fietek can score an upset victory, while Republicans need Uglem to hold off the challenger as they seek to flip seven seats for a majority.

Uglem fears an unfriendly business climate will chase away companies or prevent them from relocating here, which would cost high-paying jobs that have long been the staple of the Minnesota economy. He criticized the 2013 tax increase, especially on business-to-business taxes that were later repealed, such as the warehousing tax.

"This was the most ill thought out piece of legislation I could think of. Here's what happens, these business guys don't forget this, and they go, 'When's the other shoes going to drop?' "

Fietek said the district is filled with working-class families. "I want to make sure we're making decisions that support those families, because many of them are one incident away from economic catastrophe," he said.

He said, for instance, he would support continued improvement of MNsure and praised it as a "system that ultimately helps a lot of people."

Fietek said Uglem's voting record, including a vote against raising the minimum wage, indicates an agenda directed primarily at the wealthy.

Uglem's experience as mayor aroused some controversy in 2009, when city clerks, all women, saw their hours cut, while more senior officials, all men, received raises. Uglem said the outcome was coincidental and not discriminatory, that the cuts in hours were all voluntary, while many of the raises were contractual. He said then-councilwoman Julia Whalen supported the move, along with the majority of the council.

Still one hurdle both candidates face in the midterm elections is voter apathy.

In interviews at the Champlin Public Library, voters were mostly unfamiliar with the candidates. Others were downright cynical.

Brian Knutson said he would vote, but expected little: "Nothing changes. It's like the Twins."

J. Patrick Coolican • 651-925-5042