Eyes on the prize in Senate District 59

With State Senator Larry Pogemiller’s resignation, seven people—six DFLers and a lone Republican--are competing for the seat Pogemiller has held since January, 1983. He won by 78 percent in his last election. After over thirty years in the legislature, Pogemiller will become director of the Office of Higher Education in the Dayton administration. Education was one of his priorities in the legislature.

The primary election will be held December 6, followed by the general election on January 10. Composed of Southeast and Northeast Minneapolis and most of Cedar-Riverside, including the University’s West Bank campus and Augsburg College, the district is heavily Democratic.

Candidates had only five days to decide whether to run and three days — Halloween through November 2 — to file for election.  One candidate, Cordelia Pierson, filed and two days later withdrew, leaving two women and five men to battle it out.  Ben Schwanke, the lone Republican, filed on day three.  The other candidates in alphabetical order are Kari Dziedzic, one-time Wellstone staff member who carries a familiar East Side name; Jacob Frey, an attorney with Faegre & Benson who resigned to run for office; Alicia Frosch, a newcomer to politics about whom little is yet known but she’s on Facebook; Mohamud Noor, a Somali and neighborhood activist; Paul Ostrow, former First Ward city council member; and Peter Wagenius, policy director for Mayor Rybak and son of legislator Jean Wagenius.

When Pogemiller was elected, the district was split between heavily unionized Northeast and Southeast, dominated by the University. Today the district is much more diverse, with artists, various ethnic minorities and far more students moving into both SE and NE. In both ends of the district there is a heavy Somali population.

The campaign will be short, but hard fought among the DFLers. (In Minnesota the Democratic party is officially the Democratic-Farmer-Labor or DFL Party.) The winning candidate will be busy because she/he not only will begin immediately serving in the 2012 legislative session, but also will start campaigning for re-election in November.  By then mandatory redistricting may have changed the district’s boundaries.

The DFL Party decided not to endorse until after the primary. Instead, it will open its Central Committee meeting on November 14 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 1203 – 5th St SE., Minneapolis to give candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves and make a short presentation. Shortly thereafter it will sponsor an open forum with date, place and time to be decided at the Nov. 14 meeting. For details on both events check the 59th District’s somewhat strangely named website: http://sd-59.org/.

What worries every candidate is that too few people turn out for primaries in special elections. The fact that House District 61B in South Minneapolis will also hold elections the same day may help. In that district, it’s the second election this year because Rep. Jeff Hayden recently won retiring State Senator Linda Berglin’s seat.  Now a successor must be elected to fill Hayden’s seat. If you live in either district, don’t forget to vote.

Correction: Jacob Frey, was an attorney with Faegre & Benson and resigned to run for office.

Coverage of issues and events that affect Central Corridor neighborhoods and communities is funded in part by a grant from Central Corridor Collaborative.

Arvonne Fraser

Arvonne Fraser is an author, activist, feminist, wife, mother, and grandmother.