Minnesota Lawyer
Jeff Blodgett
Two new political committees aligned with the DFL registered with the state Campaign Finance Board this week as preparation for November’s elections has heightened among politicos of all stripes early in the new year.
Jeff Blodgett, who stepped down as executive director of Wellstone Action last January, is the chair of a new independent expenditure organization, 2012 Fund. News of the group’s registration was first reported in Politics in Minnesota’s morning newsletter PIM Confidential.
Minnesota Young DFL, an official branch of the state party and Minnesota chapter of Young Democrats of America, also registered a political committee within the past week.
For Blodgett, the move signals that he intends to once again be a significant player in the 2012 election after proving to be a staunch financial back of Gov. Mark Dayton’s effort in 2010. Blodgett’s 2012 Fund looks to be a reincarnation of the 2010 Fund, which spent almost $2.4 million in the last election cycle on DFL causes, most of it backing Dayton. Blodgett also chairs WIN Minnesota.
The chair of Minnesota Young DFL political committee is Christian Torkelson, who is also chair of Minnesota Young DFL itself. Torkelson has been active in DFL politics and has also worked with citizen journalist outlet The Uptake.
The latest filings come the same week the House DFL caucus announced a staff shake-up of its own heading into 2012 and candidate recruitment on both sides of the aisle continues apace. Three DFLers have registered to run for the Legislature — two in the Senate and one in the House — already this year.
