Political Note #228 Tina Smith MN US Senate

August 2, 2019
Federal Elections / General Election / 2020 / US Senate / Year / State / Type of Election / Political Notes / Minnesota

Tina Smith is a solidly liberal Democratic Senator. She is pro-choice, in favor of action against climate change, for progressive criminal justice reform, opposed to e-cigarettes, in favor of gun safety efforts, in favor of financial support for Central American countries to reduce emigration to the US, and in favor of a single payer health care system. The more money she raises, the more she can be sufficiently dominant to scare serious opponents away from running.

Political Note #160 Joe Radinovich MN CD 08

September 6, 2018
Federal Elections / General Election / Lose / US Congress / 2018 / Year / Result / State / US Congress 2018 / Type of Election / Political Notes / Minnesota

Joe Radinovich has been a state legislator, campaign manager, labor advocate. He is running for an open seat in the US Congress in a district that ranges from the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities to the iron range.

Political Note #122 Dan Feehan MN CD 01

May 13, 2018
Federal Elections / General Election / Lose / US Congress / 2018 / Year / Result / State / US Congress 2018 / Type of Election / Political Notes / Minnesota

On September 11, 2001, Dan Feehan was in Washington, DC. His public service goal became joining the military. He signed up for ROTC, graduated, and served two combat tours in Iraq from 2006 to 2009. Next, he joined Teach for America and got an internship in the White House. The internship brought him back to the military. After some civilian experiences with the military, he was appointed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readines

Political Note #121 Angie Craig MN CD 02

May 9, 2018
Federal Elections / Win / General Election / US Congress / 2018 / Year / Result / State / US Congress 2018 / Type of Election / Political Notes / Minnesota

Angie Craig has been head of human resources for a large corporation. Her most recent non-political job was head of communications for St. Judes (a familiar name to those who give to medical charities). The divide in the Democratic Party has largely to do with economic issues, how to work with corporations. Angie Craig, like others who share her perspective, is comfortable with large corporations. She lost a close race in 2016 and is trying to unseat the freshman incumbent who defeated her.

Political Note #115 Tina Smith MN US Senate

April 13, 2018
Federal Elections / Win / General Election / US Senate / 2018 / Year / Result / State / Type of Election / Political Notes / Minnesota

Tina Smith has been involved in Minnesota politics for a long time. She came to Minnesota from Arizona to take a marketing job at General Mills. She later worked on her own as a marketing consultant. She also worked for the Planned Parenthood office serving Minnesota and the Dakotas. She worked as chief of staff for mayors and governors, ran political campaigns for governors. Now she is running for the US Senate, seeking to get elected on her own.

Political Note #87 Dean Phillips MN 03

December 23, 2017
Federal Elections / Win / General Election / US Congress / 2018 / Year / Result / State / US Congress 2018 / Type of Election / Political Notes / Minnesota

Dean Phillips is a candidate of Minneapolis' western suburbs. A wealthy CEO, a frequent Democratic donor, he has almost as frequently declined to run for office. HIs father, Artie Pfeffer, died fighting in Vietnam when Phillips was six months old. His widowed mother married into the wealthy Phillips family. Adopted son of the family, Dean Phillips was educated for business and was a successful CEO. He says the real family business has been philanthropy. He looks like a pretty good politician, too.

Political Note #33 Rick Nolan MN CD 08

June 8, 2017
Federal Elections / General Election / Lose / State Elections / Lt. Governor / US Congress / Withdraw / Primary / 2018 / Year / Result / State / US Congress 2018 / Type of Election / Political Notes / Minnesota

Rick Nolan is an unusual man and an unusual politician. In his seventies, his current stint as a Congressman is his third career. His first career was also as a politician and Congressman. A young aide to Walter Mondale, after a brief stint as a teacher, he ran for Congress in 1972, lost in a close race, but won handily in the next three elections. In between his stints as a Congressman, Rick Nolan was a politically connected businessman. He was President of the US Export Corporation, then became head of the Minnesota World Trade Center.