by Charley Shaw
Published: November 9, 2012
Tags: Al Juhnke, Alice Hausman, Ann Lenczewski, Ann Rest, Carlos Mariani, Dan Sparks, Dick Cohen, Doug Magnus, Erin Murphy, Frank Hornstein, Jean Wagenius, Jim Metzen, Jim Vickerman, Joe Atkins, John Marty, Katie Sieben, Keith Langseth, Kent Eken, LeRoy Stumpf, Loren Solberg, Lyle Koenen, Lyndon Carlson, Mindy Greiling, Paul Marquart, Paul Thissen, Rod Skoe, Ron Erhardt, Sandy Pappas, Scott Dibble, Tina Liebling, Tom Bakk, Tom Huntley, Tom Saxhaug, Tony Lourey
Close on the heels of Tuesday’s election, members of the new DFL House and Senate majorities gathered behind closed doors on Thursday to elect their leaders. As expected, the minority leaders who helped steer Democrats back into control — Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook — were elevated to House speaker and Senate majority leader.
Senate District 22 covers a sprawling nine-county swath of southwestern Minnesota that borders both South Dakota and Iowa. Partisans on both sides agree that the district is staunchly conservative.
by Charley Shaw
Published: June 27, 2012
Tags: Al Doty, Alliance for a Better Minnesota, April King, Bev Scalze, Carrie Lucking, Dallas Sams, David Gaither, Geoff Michel, Gregg Peppin, Jim Carlson, Jim Vickerman, Joe Gimse, Kathy Saltzman, Keith Downey, Keith Langseth, Larry Rice, Lyle Koenen, Melisa Franzen, Mike Kennedy, Paul Gazelka, Phil Hansen, Ted Lillie, Terri Bonoff, Tony Petrangelo
Political operatives who have been crunching the numbers and talking to candidates see no shortage of swing districts in this year’s legislative elections. The new redistricting maps have tweaked the partisan complexion of many districts.
by Charley Shaw
Published: April 27, 2011
Tags: Dan Hall, Dave Senjem, David Hann, David Tomassoni, Dennis Fredrickson, Dick Day, Doug Magnus, Jim Carlson, Jim Vickerman, John Carlson, John Doll, John Howe, John Pederson, Kathy Sheran, Michelle Fischbach, Pam Wolf, Paul Koering, Racino Now, Rick Olseen, Robin Brown, Ron Shimanski, Sean Nienow, Tarryl Clark, Ted Daley
In previous legislative sessions, proposals to expand gambling have attracted more support from Republicans than DFLers. Given Minnesota's $5 billion state budget deficit and the new Republican majorities in the House and Senate, gambling proposals would seem to stand a much-improved chance of landing on the governor's desk as part of a budget agreement.
State Senate stalwart Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, likely won't pursue an 11th term in 2012.
by Briana Bierschbach
Published: November 17, 2010
Tags: Ann Lynch, Cullen Sheehan, Dan Skogen, Jim Carlson, Jim Vickerman, Joe Gimse, John Doll, Kathy Saltzman, Katie Sieben, Kevin Dahle, Leo Foley, Lisa Fobbe, Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, Mary Olson, Michael Brodkorb, Michele Bachmann, Mike Kennedy, Paul Gazelka, Paul Koering, Rick Olseen, Sandy Rummel, Steve Murphy, Tarryl Clark, Taylor Stevenson
Late last week, three of the principal architects of the Republicans' Minnesota Senate takeover gathered in Sen. Amy Koch's office for one last time to talk about how they'd pulled it off.
by Charley Shaw
Published: November 3, 2010
Tags: Al Juhnke, Andy Welti, Barack Obama, Bernie Lieder, Bill Kuisle, Brita Sailer, Carla Nelson, Dave Olin, Dave Senjem, Diane Anderson, Don Betzold, Doug Magnus, Fran Bradley, Gen Olson, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, House Minority Leader, Jennifer DeJournett, Jeremy Miller, Jim Vickerman, Julie Rosen, Keith Downey, Kevin Staunton, Kurt Zellers, Loren Solberg, Maria Ruud, Marsha Swails, Mike Benson, Paul Rosenthal, Ted Winter, Warren Limmer
Republicans pummeled DFLers in the suburbs and greater Minnesota on Tuesday night to take control of both chambers of the Legislature for the first time since the modern partisan era started in the early 1970s.
by Briana Bierschbach
Published: September 8, 2010
Tags: Amy Koch, Dennis Frederickson, Doug Magnus, Jim Vickerman, John McCain, Norm Coleman, Senate District 22, Steve Dille, Steve Murphy, Tim Pawlenty
State Sen. Jim Vickerman calls himself the most conservative Democrat in Minnesota, and he has a voting record to bolster that claim. The seven-term lawmaker has represented Senate District 22 with a light hand since 1986. The rural area has, with the exception of Vickerman, consistently voted Republican over the last decade.
by Charley Shaw
Published: August 20, 2010
Tags: Ann Rest, Barb Goodwin, Benjamin Kruse, Dave Renner, Erin Murphy, Gary Goldsmith, Jeremiah Ellis, Jim Vickerman, Joe Fricke, John Howe, Julie Bunn, Kathy Brynaert, Kim Norton, Leo Foley, Linda Scheid, Lyndon Carlson, Mark Jenkins, Mee Moua, Paul Gazelka, Phil Sterner, Rena Moran, Sandra Peterson, Satveer Chaudhary, Steve Murphy, Ted Daley, Tim Mahoney, Tina Liebling, Tom Bakk, Yvonne Prettner
Chaudhary's primary loss made him the body's fifth departing chair
by Charley Shaw
Published: August 13, 2010
Tags: David Lillehaug, Doug Magnus, Gregg Peppin, Jim Vickerman, John Howe, Kathy Saltzman, Laura Brod, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Mark Dayton, Paul Koering, Peter Hutchinson, R.T. Rybak, Rick Olseen, Satveer Chaudhary, Steve Murphy, Tim Penny, Tom Horner
Hours after Tuesday's DFL primary, the Minnesota GOP launched a TV ad attack calling DFLer Mark Dayton "erratic" and wondering out loud what frequency he was on.
