Posted on 01/17/2010 10:43:24 PM PST by MplsSteve
Didn’t MN do some kind of non-partisan remap thing last time? Was that only cause neither party had control (rat senate, GOP house, Jesse Ventura)?
I seem to recall the original plan in 2002 would have created Northern MN seat that may have put Oberstar and Peterson in the same seat. Even though they didn’t lose a seat that year so such a change was not needed.
Judges did the plan for this past decade.
Jesse Ventura, in his desire to be above petty partisanship, wanted the districts to be as competitive as possible. The divided legislature drew Luther’s district to be a little bit more GOP. Thanks to the Wellstone backlash, Kline defeated Luther in his 3rd try at the House seat.
My comment is this: Coleman didn't lose to Al Franken and every Minnesotan knows it.
In 2002, the Republican House wanted to combine the Minneapolis 4th and St. Paul 5th CDs into an über-Democrat district so Republicans could win surrounding districts; the Democrat Senate wanted to keep 4 rural districts in the four corners of MN and end up with 6 Democrat CDs and 2 GOP CDs; and Gov. Ventura wanted a rural district taking in all of Northern MN and as many other competitive districts as possible. A court ended up drawing the map, leaving separate districts for Peterson and Oberstar and in Mpls and St. Paul, but leaving a single rural district in the south; both Kennedy’s newly gained CD and Luther’s CD were made more Republican, allowing Kennedy to be reelected easily and Kline to defeat Luther.
Damn, the field in MN is even more crowded than the IL field.
They do have a state convention system. Usually they endorse one candidate who then has an easy ride in the primary.
They also have some kind of statewide caucus before the primary than eventual winners Pawlenty and Arne/Oscar Carlson both lost.
http://www.ourcampaigns.com/ContainerHistory.html?ContainerID=143&ShowPrimaries=Y
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