House District 15B
90% urban/suburban. St. Cloud is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, and is home to many retail and commercial businesses, as well as manufacturing, banking and health care institutions. St. Cloud lies within three counties: Stearns County, Sherburne and Benton. This situation creates jurisdiction, logistical and economic problems like varying county tax rates. St. Cloud State University is one of the largest employers in the districts and home to more than 16,000 students seeking bachelor's and master's degrees. The most important issue to local leaders is funding the Northstar Corridor, which would provide commuter rail service from St. Cloud to the Twin Cities on existing freight rail lines. Politically, the concentration of college students and professors gives this district a strong DFL lean.
To get a much better picture of each candidate's prospects, your best bet is to order the 2007-2008 Politics in Minnesota Directory, which includes election histories for each incumbent, the vote percentages for major candidates in each district and much more in addition to the maps and district descriptions below. Buy the Directory here. Please note that the district maps and written descriptions are copyrighted. We encourage you to link to the pages, but printing them for dissemination requires the permission of the publisher. To get permission, write to staff@politicsinminnesota.com.
Also, please note that some incumbents do not yet have opponents. Candidate filings close July 15, 2008.
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