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Roger Erickson

Jun 3, 2014

The Capitol Note: Ortman exits US Senate race

State Sen. Julianne Ortman left the GOP field for US Senate on Monday after handily losing the party endorsement over the weekend to businessman Mike McFadden.

Dec 11, 2013

The Capitol Note: Housley sets January timetable for gubernatorial decision

Housley had a relatively nondescript year as a freshman in the Senate last year, but is still well-known among Republicans.

Jun 26, 2013

MN United PAC releases ‘Minnesota 15’ list

On the same day the U.S. Supreme Court struck struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Minnesotans United PAC released the full "Minnesota 15" list of pro-gay marriage legislators who will be made "priorities" in their reelection campaigns. That list includes the five legislative Republicans who voted in favor of the bill and 10 rural Democrats serving in the House who could be vulnera[...]

Jun 13, 2013

MN United PAC pledges support to 15 pro-gay marriage lawmakers

MN United PAC, the political fund formed by pro-gay marriage group Minnesotans United for All Families, announced its "Minnesota 15" initiative on Thursday, a list of lawmakers who supported gay marriage this spring that will be made "priorities" for the fund in their campaigns for reelection. Minnesotans United named the first five lawmakers on the list, which consisted of all rural Democrats se[...]

Apr 19, 2013

Marriage bill’s fate uncertain

On the steps of the state Capitol, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton stood in the sleet on Thursday to encourage a crowd of hundreds to push their legislators to legalize gay marriage this session.

Jan 18, 2013

Agriculture politics flare in early going

The first partisan front in the newly constituted Minnesota House of Representatives was established only minutes after that body opened the 2013 session. After the chamber cycled through a handful of procedural votes, Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, rose to challenge the DFL majority’s decision to create the House Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance Division.

Nov 20, 2012

Meet the freshmen: House DFL (part 1)

As he talked about meeting with thousands of potential voters on the campaign trail, Jason Metsa found himself using a certain word, and paused to acknowledge what it meant. “Those people are now my constituents,” he said.

Nov 9, 2012

Marriage amendment had big impact in burbs

Rumblings about the marriage amendment’s unpopularity in the western suburbs came early in the campaign season. Orange and blue “vote no” signs vastly outnumbered “vote yes” ones, particularly in places like Edina, and Republican candidates running for the Legislature avoided the issue at the doors and in debates at all cost.

Nov 7, 2012

DFLers exult over reclaiming legislative majorities

Before closing his victory speech after winning back the DFL majority in the Minnesota Senate, a teary-eyed DFL Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk grabbed the arm of one of his first-time candidates and lifted it high. “I want to introduce you to Senator-elect Melisa Franzen,” Bakk shouted to an exuberant crowd of DFLers gathered in downtown St. Paul at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. “They didn’t lo[...]

Oct 24, 2012

Majority math figures in northwestern MN races

Senate Districts 2 and 4 in northwest Minnesota form a band that stretches from Moorhead to the Northwest Angle on the Canadian border. Along that path lie a few legislative races that figure to have an impact on the larger partisan tussle for control of the state House and Senate.

Oct 3, 2012

Business PACs spend to defend GOP frosh

The campaign finance reports released last week show that political action committees large and small have been funneling lots of money into legislative races.

Oct 3, 2012

House 2A race proves to be money magnet

House District 2A is not campaign turf for the faint-hearted. A diffuse region made up of 100 far-flung communities, the district is roughly the size of Connecticut, albeit with about one-90th the population.

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