Photos: Day one of the State Fair brings out campaigners looking for an early edge

TEXT BY PAUL DEMKO

PHOTOS BY PETER BARTZ-GALLAGHER

Gov. Mark Dayton started the day by greeting fairgoers at the DFL booth along Dan Patch Ave. (named in honor of the stallion that set speed records in the 1900s). One gentleman offered a somewhat backhanded compliment to the first-term DFLer. “Thanks for not shutting down the state this year,” he said. “That was a good move.” Dayton then traveled by golf cart to the Star Tribune booth, where he was interviewed by columnist Lori Sturdevant. The governor’s final fair stop was an interview with curmudgeonly Garage Logic host Joe Soucheray on ESPN Twin Cities (AM 1500).

The newest member of the GOP gubernatorial field was greeting visitors at his booth on Cooper St. “I live in Hibbing and I’m starting a little bit late,” Rob Farnsworth said of his campaign. “So I’m just trying to meet as many people as I can. There’s 1.5 million people [here]. That’s the best way to get a good start considering the resources I have.”  The Hibbing special education teacher cited his lack of legislative experience as a distinction that could set him apart from the crowded field of GOP gubernatorial contenders. “Some people might say that’s a bad thing,” he acknowledged. “But when you look at the Republicans’ approval rating in the Legislature, it’s abysmal. It’s 27 percent. I don’t have that baggage. For most Minnesotans, that’s a good thing.”

Sen. Susan Kent worked the Senate booth in the education building for the first time on Thursday afternoon. The freshman from Woodbury was buttonholed at one point by a gentleman who had a novel plan for eliminating any more problems associated with the stadium for the Minnesota Vikings: Recruit Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to purchase the team and let him build the stadium with private dollars. Kent was unfazed by the encounter. “I love this opportunity,” she said. “It’s a great way to talk to a lot of different people and hear a lot of different things. I just had a passionate conversation about the Vikings stadium.”

GOP chair Keith Downey greeted fairgoers at the party’s booth along Carnes Ave. Visitors had the opportunity to have their picture taken with a cardboard cutout of Ronald Reagan or utilize an iPad to fill out a survey indicating what should be the state government’s top priorities. Downey said his primary task was just to listen. “Professional lobbyists and all the folks who do politics for a living, guess what? They get 365 days a year to tell us what they think,” Downey said. “Here we’ve got 12 days where an average, everyday Minnesotan can have their voice heard.”

Right next to the GOP tent, U.S. Sen. Al Franken was being interviewed by WCCO’s Chad Hartman. The first-term senator, who is up for re-election next year, was asked about childhood visits to the State Fair. “We ate a lot,” Franken said, clearly trying to bond with the hoi polloi. “We ate a lot.”

The Tea Party was represented at the State Fair for the first time. They had free nail files and $20 t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Free markets, fiscal responsibility, limited government.” The conservative movement, which took root in 2010, continues to resonate with disgruntled voters. So far this year, five new Tea Party chapters have been started in the metro area. Jack Rogers, who cut his teeth by helping found the North Metro Tea Party Patriots, has been helping spur that growth. “I have never heard so many people so frustrated in all their life,” Rogers said, of feedback at the Tea Party booth. “Remember the old Peanuts cartoon where the doctor is in and Lucy would sit there? I’m telling you – the first hour, I thought I was Lucy. I was just able to give an ear to people and say we do understand.”

Sen. Chuck Wiger watched as Dayton was interviewed by Lori Sturdevant of the Star Tribune on Thursday afternoon. The Maplewood DFLer had a busy fair schedule. Later in the day he would be working the Senate’s booth. In addition, he was scheduled to make mini-donuts for a stand that serves as a fundraiser for DFLers in four Senate districts. “I’ve been out here since I was a toddler,” Wiger said. “It’s just part of my life experience.”

There was little doubt what message the Minnesota AFL CIO wanted to convey to fairgoers. A large sign above the group’s booth advised “Raise the wage: $9.50 by 2015.” That message reflects unfinished business from the last legislative session. Both the House and Senate passed bills increasing the minimum wage, but they were far apart on the level: The House passed a bill bumping it to $9.50 per hour, while the Senate only raised it to $7.75 per hour. The two bodies never reached accord on a compromise. Steve Hunter, AFL CIO secretary/treasurer, pointed out that if the minimum wage had kept pace with inflation since 1968, it would currently be at $10.55 per hour. “This won’t get it back to where it should be,” Hunter said. “But it would be a giant step forward from where we are right now. We think that if people work full time, they ought to earn enough money to support themselves.”