Almanac: At the Capitol

 

First District Republican congressional candidate Brian Davis has to big the night's biggest winner.  He took on a well-known and well-liked sitting Senator Dick Day and won.  Day is a maverick who doesn't mind upsetting the party elite and that didn't help him in a primary that's usually filled with party activists.  If Farmfest was any indication, Davis will still have a tough road against Congressman Tim Walz who stills seems popular with the rural people in his district.

 

Next, on the winner's list is Dean Barkley.  The former U.S. Senator should have won this primary race, still he was running against an endorsed candidate and party chair.  He just needs to raise some money and start buying some media.  An IPer with name-id really makes the Senate race interesting and ultimately harder to predict.

 

Finally, the biggest legislative winner is probably Rep. Jim Abeler from Anoka.  He was one of the famous override-six and listening to his speech the last night of session it sounded like he even thought he was a goner.  He voted his heart, not necessarily his future and it was an emotional decision to watch.  It's never fun for a lawmaker to defy his caucus.

 

Now, in the loser category, Sen. Dick Day.  He's such a nice, fun guy who's a great sport.  The press corps really like the guy.  He's plain-spoken and colorful.  He just isn't into pleasing the party as I mentioned above.  The question now is if he'll retire from the Senate after once serving as the minority leader.  It's tough for former leaders to go back to being just rank and file members of the legislature.  It wasn't a great year for state lawmakers looking to move up.  Sen. Terri Bonoff was also defeated in a congressional run.  The legislature used to a springboard for higher office, we'll see if it works for Erik Paulsen in the 3rd or if the recent trend ends with Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum.

 

Priscilla Lord Faris spent some serious time and energy on a losing race.  Nearly 30% of the vote is not bad. The fact she did motivate some voters to the polls shows some dissatisfaction with Franken, but he may have time to overcome that.  Although the nible Coleman is still running a spot-on campaign. 

 

Finally, another well-liked lawmaker and one of the override-six concludes my list of the top winners and losers.  Rep. Neil Peterson fom Bloomington had character and spunk and that's always appreciated in the press.  But once again, you can't bite the hand that feeds you:  local party activists.

A couple of honorable mentions in the loser category:  Mpls. Rep. Willie Dominguez and Rep. Mark Olson who won't be elevated to the Senate. 

I just sat down with Al Franken for a one-on-one interview about his financial problems. We'll have some clips tonight on Almanac: At the Capitol and more Friday on Almanac. He said "yesterday was the best day of the campaign" because his staff and supporters rallied. Franken says they contacted most of the delegates and virtually every one said the recent news was not a problem.
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State Senator Dick Day announced he will run in a primary. Brian Davis, another Republican candidate in the First Congressional District said he's disappointed and said "Senator Day went back on his word that he gave at numerous Republican activists' meetings stating he would abide by the endorsement process." Day says that primary election "are far more democratic than the current system in which party insiders hand pick the candidates." He pointed to the frustration over recent presidential caucuses in the state.
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