Grams tells GOP group he's out of Senate race (Minnesota)

Red Star Tribune ^ | 4/24/05 | Chris Serres

[LdSentinal]

Rod Grams gave up his bid for a U.S. Senate seat on Saturday, according to an official in the state party, a move that would virtually ensure that U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy will walk away with the Republican nomination in 2006.

Grams did not return phone calls to his home Saturday for comment, but a party official said the former senator announced plans to drop out of the race during a speech at the Minnesota Republican Party's Eighth District Convention in Isanti, Minn.

"He basically said, 'I want my friends here of the Eighth District to be the first to know I will not be running for the U.S. Senate,'" said George Cable, the chairman of the convention and a former deputy chairman of the state Republican Party. "He went on to say that he would strongly support whoever won the nomination."

[Solar Wind]

Kennedy is a good choice. I heard him at a Bush Rally in the Target Center here. He is a very dynamic speaker and can move a crowd. He will be a tough campaigner and hard to beat.

The main thing he will be running against is the demographics of the state and the old liberal crowd here. Inroads are being made into this blue state. The reason Dayton isn't running again is he has seen the progress Republicans have made in MN.

It will be a battle to elect Kennedy but with a lot of work it is winnable.

Mr Sol.

[GOPXtreme20]

What is Kennedy's position on abortion, same-sex marriages, immigration, outsourcing, taxes, and free-trade?

One last question: Is Mr. Kennedy a conservative? If he is then it will great to see an another conservative elected in the US Senate. The US Senate in my opinion is nothing but a bunch of compromisers. They compromise too much on critical legislation that will help this nation.

[MattMa]

Dayton isn't running because; he has no fund raising structure for a campaign. He bought and paid for that seat.

[johniegrad]

Mark Kennedy is a Johnnie.

[Pusterfuss]

This time Kennedy will beat a non-qualified candidate on the State level. Patty Wetterling will undoubtedly be the dem offering. Sadly, her only qualification is name recognition due to the unfortunate kidnapping of her son years ago.

[Burf]

I think Amy Klobuchar will be the Dem candidate and will probably win. All she has to do is carry the metro and she's in.

[Gumdrop]

Mark Kennedy has very good conservative credentials on both social and economic issues.

[Pusterfuss]

I think Amy Klobuchar will be the Dem candidate and will probably win.

She's a turncoat former Republican, isn't she? She is very articulate.

[Burf]

Im not sure of her Republican credentials. Isn't she the daughter of the former LIBERAL columnist for the Strib? If I remember correctly he was from the iron range and so in his world government was the solution to everyones problems.