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.

Common Cause Executive Director Mike Dean said Wednesday that he has filed a complaint with the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) arguing that the Republican Party, Sutton and several others created for-profit corporation Count Them All Properly (CTAP) to hide contributions directed to pay off bills related to the recount. Dean is asking OAH to find probable cause for the Ramsey County attorney to prosecute criminal charges.

Despite a strange incident that put state Rep. Tom Hackbarth at the Highland Park Planned Parenthood parking lot after hours with a loaded gun at his waistband, and a story about searching for an woman he met online that turned out to be inaccurate, the St. Paul City Attorney, Sara Grewing, said her office will not file charges against the eight-term Republican represenatative.

Think of Bob Hume as that big, beefy, bespectacled hurler who shows up in the final innings when the baseball game is on the line-with a killer pitch.

Erin Dady, who played a key role in planning for the 2008 Republican National Convention, has been named St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's new chief of staff. Dady previously served as the city's director of marketing and convention planning.

Sara Grewing has been named St. Paul City Attorney. Since 2007, Grewing has served as chief of staff for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.

Lobbying for greater Minnesota cities at the state Capitol wasn’t a job requirement for being St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman’s chief of staff. But Sara ...