Minnesota House seats like one now represented by St. Paul DFL Rep. Michael Paymar don’t open up that often. Like many urban districts, it’s a safe haven for Democrats — and the sort of prize that is rarely put up for grabs. Paymar has represented House District 64B for 17 years, winning re-election with margins around 70 percent or higher in the last four cycles.

The past year has seen polarizing, multimillion-dollar battles over the role and rights of labor unions across the country.

With her self-deprecating grin, shoulder-length hair and upbeat demeanor, Sharyle "Shar" Knutson is no one's stereotype of a big-city union boss.

Earlier this month, the Minnesota AFL-CIO gathered its members to consider endorsing a candidate in the governor’s race. The meeting was called, in part, at the behest of House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s labor backers. With the broadest array of union support, Kelliher clearly stood the best chance of earning the statewide, umbrella labor organization’s endorsement.

Kris Fredson, deputy chief of staff for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, has been named political director for the Minnesota AFL-CIO.