Posted by draabe on 20 July, 2010
Pat [Awada] Anderson, an organizer of tea party events in Minnesota,was a 2010 gubernatorial candidate until former Sen. Norm Coleman became “a factor” in the race. (Coleman never said he was running for governor, but did spend a few weeks hinting to the press that he might.) On January 12, 2010, Pat Anderson quit the governor’s race and announced she would instead run for state auditor (a position to which she failed to be reelected in 2006 when she lost by over 10%).
Cheating consumers
One reason Anderson may have failed in her reelection campaign was her involvement with a telecom company that was found to be cheating consumers in 2003. According to the Pioneer Press:
“Awada [Pat Anderson] owned Capitol Verification, a company that checked New Access orders to make sure consumers truly wanted to change their telephone service. But regulators found her firm sometimes failed in that role. Awada in January sold the company to one of the founders of New Access and was paid, in part, with stock in the parent company.”
Read more…
Posted in POLITICS | Tagged: lavish spending, Minnesota State Auditor, MN politics, MN races, MN state auditor's race, Otto expenses, Pat Anderson, Pat Anderson candidate, Pat Anderson scandal, Pat Awada, Rebecca Otto, Rebecca Otto for State Auditor, Tony Sutton, Tony Sutton press release | Leave a Comment »
Posted by draabe on 26 April, 2010
Just today, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner announced she is ending her bid for governor. Gaertner’s decision was made on the heels of a rousing DFL convention which ended on a high note with an endorsement for Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson-Kelliher. At a press conference this afternoon, Gaertner conceded that facing a female opponent in the primary would ”pit two women against each other in the primary, and with two self-financed and well-funded male candidates, the resulting struggle would make it extremely difficult to raise sufficient funds for an effective campaign.”
Gaertner has posted this statement at her website:
Dear Friends & Supporters:
After careful analysis of the DFL gubernatorial endorsement, I have decided to end my campaign for Governor of Minnesota.
Two important facts weighed heavily in my decision: 1) That the endorsement of Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher would pit two women against each other in the primary, and 2) with two self-financed and well-funded male candidates, the resulting struggle would make it extremely difficult to raise sufficient funds for an effective campaign.
Since the day I entered this campaign I always believed there was a path to victory. Today, that path is not clear. What is clear is that if I stayed in the race I could hurt the chances of a woman surviving the primary. Because this is the first time in more than a century of effort that a woman has come this far, I don’t want to be any part of keeping us from achieving this important milestone for Minnesota women.
While I am truly sorry the campaign didn’t work out, I have no regrets. I ran because I believe at this difficult time in Minnesota’s history my leadership and values would have been good for all Minnesotans, including the least among us.
I will be forever grateful for your support and friendship. In my years as a public servant in Minnesota, nothing I have done has touched me more than your loyalty to my campaign for Governor.
When I started this campaign, I used a quote from Minnesota’s first Governor, Henry Hastings Sibley, to express my most basic value as a candidate. As I end this campaign, I still believe it to be true:
“I have no object and no interest which are not inseparably bound up with the welfare of the state.”
Thank you.
Posted in POLITICS, The Great Minnesota Governor's Race 2010 | Tagged: NEWS, MN politics, Susan Gaertner, Gaertner, MN Governor's Race, mn governor, Gaertner drops, Great Minnesota Governor's Race, Minnesota political news | Leave a Comment »
Posted by draabe on 23 April, 2010
DFL Convention, Duluth, Minnesota
Having completed housekeeping issues such as how to upgrade and seat alternate delegates, appointing convention officers, hearing opening statements, pledging allegiance, etc., DFL delegates (977 actual at third count) addressed the party platform, heard arguments regarding resolutions and listened to rousing speeches by congressional candidates Dan Powers (CD2), Jim Meffert (CD3) and Tarry Clark (CD6).
Endorsements for attorney general, state auditor and secretary of state were granted by acclimation to Lori Swanson, Rebecca Otto and Mark Ritchie, respectively. As all three are incumbents, no challenges were expected or made.
The party is scheduled to endorse a gubernatorial candidate Saturday, April 24 and the top three candidates appear to be R. T. Rybak, Margaret Anderson-Kelliher and Paul Thissen (not necessarily in that order), but John Marty and Tom Rukavina are working hard. Also in attendance is Ramsey County Attorney / gubernatorial candidate Susan Gaertner although, like former Sen. Mark Dayton and former Rep. Matt Entenza, she intends to run in the primary and does not expect to be endorsed.
Delegates who support Dayton, Gaertner and Entenza may vote “no endorsement” on their ballot, but it is expected that one of the other candidates will receive the official endorsement of the DFL by the end of the convention. Energy is high as campaigns and supporters work the floor, but the real action will take place tomorrow.
See MN Progressive Project or The Uptake for more live coverage.
Posted in POLITICS, The Great Minnesota Governor's Race 2010 | Tagged: Mark Ritchie, MN politics, MN Governor's Race, DFL Convention, Minnesota DFL, MN state convention, MN gubernatorial race, Duluth, DECC, Lori Swanson, Rebecca Otto | Leave a Comment »
Posted by draabe on 31 March, 2009
Just this afternoon, District Court Judges Elizabeth A. Hayden, Kurt J. Marben and Denise D. Reilly ordered the delivery of the following 400 ballots/applications/envelopes to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State by noon the 6th of April, 2009:
“The absentee ballot return envelopes for the individuals identified in Exhibit A [394 beginning on page 20 of the Order], the absentee return ballots, absentee ballot applications and federal postcard applications for the individuals identified in Exhibit B [five listed on page 30 of the Order], and the original voter registration application and absentee ballot return envelope for the individual identified in Exhibit C [one on page 31 of the Order].”
“Legally cast ballots shall be opened, sorted and counted by the Office of the Secretary of State in open court. Opening, sorting and counting shall proceed using the same methods as described in the Minnesota Supreme Court’s Order of December 24, 2008. Upon opening, sorting and counting, the ballots shall be completely and finally separated from the envelopes in accordance with Minnesota’s policy of ballot secrecy. The totals from the opening, sorting and counting shall be included in the results of the 2008 United States Senate election reported by the Minnesota Secretary of State.”
The Order further states that “Any other relief not specifically ordered herein is denied,” ostensibly referring to the ballots Coleman’s attorneys claimed were lost or double-counted. However, Franken’s attorney Marc Elias said there could be additional orders forthcoming.
If the 400 ballots reconfirm that Al Franken received the most votes in this election, it is clear that Coleman’s attorneys will not concede. What is unclear is how far they might be allowed to take their arguments, how long the people of Minnesota will remain underrepresented in the US Senate and how long this race will be used to keep a lawfully elected fillibuster-proof majority out of the US Senate. In a recent radio interview, Coleman’s lead attorney Joe Friedberg told Ron Rosenbaum, “We’ve been trying this case with the appeal record in mind,” and “the more input lawyers can have, the better I like it. It’s called the full employment act for lawyers.”
An appeal to the MN Supreme Court by either side could be ruled on relatively quickly, but Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has already begun appealing for Coleman on the federal level. Should Franken remain the winner after the 400 ballots and envelopes are counted next week, and Coleman fails to impress the MN Supreme Court, Cornyn said Coleman should keep fighting “for years.” Although Senate Rules and Administration Committee Chair Sen. Chuck Shumer (D-NY) said that the case will be decided in Minnesota state courts, Cornyn has threatened “World War III” if Franken is seated.
Posted in Franken v. Coleman, POLITICS | Tagged: Al Franken, Coleman Franken April, coleman franken ruling, Coleman v. Franken, Franken Coleman results april, Franken Coleman results March, Franken v. Coleman, minnesota elections, Minnesota Senate decision, MN politics, mn senate race, Norm Coleman, Norm Coleman appeal, who is winning minnesota senate race | 2 Comments »
Seed Newsvine
Pat [Awada] Anderson, an organizer of tea party events in Minnesota,was a 2010 gubernatorial candidate until former Sen. Norm Coleman became “a factor” in the race. (Coleman never said he was running for governor, but did spend a few weeks hinting to the press that he might.) On January 12, 2010, Pat Anderson quit the governor’s race and announced she would instead run for state auditor (a position to which she failed to be reelected in 2006 when she lost by over 10%).