Minnesota Lawyer
DFL endorsee Mick McGuire, who has served five terms as mayor of Montgomery, is one of the legislative candidates that the party’s House caucus regards most highly. He’s expected to make a strong appeal to independents and conservative Democrats in the GOP-leaning district. (Photo courtesy of McGuire campaign)
Montgomery mayor reaches out to independents, conservative Dems
The surprising retirement of popular, four-term Rep. Laura Brod, R-New Prague, launched what would have been a surefire Republican seat in House District 25A into uncertain territory.
While the district that covers Scott, Le Sueur and Sibley counties generally votes Republican, the DFL has fielded a strong candidate in Montgomery mayor and lifelong resident Mick McGuire, who Democrats think can appeal to the more moderate conservatives in the district. The GOP candidate, Glenn Gruenhagen, is a political newcomer and virtual unknown, and may have a tough time keeping the seat in red territory this fall.
The first candidate to announce a run for the spot was McGuire, who for the past decade has been mayor of Montgomery, a city of about 3,200 nestled in the central part of the district. He was prompted to jump in the race in November 2009 over frustration with “polarized politics” at the Capitol, he said. As a longtime mayor working with a non-partisan city council, said McGuire, “I thought maybe I could bring something to the table, make this place work a little better.”
Prior to his time as mayor, McGuire served on the city council for eight years, and has owned and operated a New Prague landscaping business for the last 23 years with his brother. He is also a member of the New Prague and Montgomery Chambers of Commerce.
As mayor, McGuire said, he led several major infrastructure projects, including one to construct a new wastewater facility. In a small town like Montgomery, he added, that’s a big endeavor. His aspirations as a legislator are centered on improving the state’s aging infrastructure. He would also like to streamline an expensive education system, and push a guaranteed state health care program.
McGuire thinks he can appeal to voters as a “balanced person.” “I put on my boots and go to work every day,” he said. “But I also have that experience being in an elected position.” He isn’t discouraged by the district’s conservative voting record, noting that voters opted for DFL state Sen. Kevin Dahle in a special election several years ago. McGuire challenged Dahle for the endorsement for that Senate seat, but lost; McGuire has never lost a general election.
Unseasoned opponent
GOP endorsee Glenn Gruenhagen is a relative newcomer to electoral politics, having only a (successful) school board run on his political resume, but he’s hoping his conservatism will put him over with voters in November. Gruenhagen, who owns an insurance agency, has worked in insurance and financial services for 32 years, he said. He was raised on a dairy farm near Glencoe, where he currently lives and serves on the Glencoe Silver Lake Public School Board. He is a member of the National Rifle Association and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Like most Republicans in 2010, Gruenhagen keynotes themes of “waste, fraud and duplication” in state government. He wants to reduce the size and role of government in people’s lives, starting with the federal health care bill. And he raises worries that Democrats will try to pass a state-level single-payer health care system next session – which is even worse than “Obamacare,” he added.
“You will have a nameless, faceless bureaucrat deciding on your medical care and micromanaging the doctor from either the state or federal government level,” he said passionately. “Do you want that?” he asked. “Do you?”
Job creation, no tax increases and working to reform the state’s education policies round out Gruenhagen’s platform, something he said he has been very clear about. He says his opponent has avoided taking stands on any of the issues.
“I like to stick to the issues and contrast my point on the issues,” he said. “It’s just a little hard to do that with my opponent because he doesn’t state a single thing.”
Gruenhagen said he has been door knocking, going to fairs and appearing in parades to tell people where he stands on the issues. “I work hard to earn the respect of the voters in District 25A,” he said.
Dem hopes for conservative votes
The district, roughly 50 miles by 50 miles in size, touches both rural and suburban areas southwest of the Twin Cities. Historically, voters have swung for Republican candidates like John McCain, Norm Coleman, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and George Bush. Brod has handily won her re-election campaigns since 2004, sometimes outpolling her DFL challengers by nearly 20 points.
Brod said the area has been trending even more Republican, and she doesn’t expect it to swing the other way anytime soon. “The race is going to be a strong race, but I don’t see the district trending toward the Democratic side of the aisle,” she said.
“The situation that you have with the mayor is he is a nice guy, but being a nice guy isn’t enough anymore,” she said. “He will be a solid vote for the folks on the left that are increasing taxes at every turn. It really comes down to who holds the gavel.”
But Darin Broton, a DFL analyst with public relations firm Tunheim Partners, said the seat will be an easy pickup for McGuire, who appeals to the older, more conservative Democrats that make up a large part of Le Sueur County.
“The House DFL has had a hard time finding a candidate who can win those conservative Democrats, but Mick is the best candidate they’ve ever had in that sense,” he said.
Broton touted McGuire’s name recognition in the area and his money-raising abilities. McGuire has raised more than $10,000, Gruenhagen about $6,300.
“As much as this may be a difficult year for Democrats,” Broton said, “I think Mick is the one who is going to win it.”
