TONIGHT'S SPECIAL ELECTION FORUM IN SENATE DISTRICT 59

If you are a political junkie and have nothing to do tonight or are paying attention to latest special election, here is something that you could do tonight.

The 2011 State Senate Special Election Candidate Forum is a DFL event for the six DFL candidates on the December 6, 2011 DFL primary election ballot. The candidates will respond to questions and address the public prior to the primary election at this event. The Forum is intended to inform, educate and empower the public to make an informed decision in the upcoming primary election. The agenda will include a variety of questions and information of public interest. The Forum is free and open to the public. 

Live Streaming 

The Forum will be streamed live on The UpTake at: http://www.theuptake.org/ 

The content will be available for online on-demand viewing from The UpTake and via the Senate 

District 59 DFL web site. 

Please check the Senate District 59 DFL web site after November 15, 2011 for further details: 

http://www.sd-59.org 

Event Details: 

DATE:   Wednesday November 30, 2011 

TIME:   6:30PM – 9:00PM 

LOCATION:  Sheridan Arts Magnet School Auditorium 

   1201 University Ave. NE • Minneapolis, MN 55413 

   (Corner of Broadway ST NE and University Ave NE)

PARKING:  Limited parking is available in the rear parking lot + along 4th ST NE, and 

adjacent to the school in legal neighborhood spaces

ACCESSIBILITY: The site is fully accessible and there will be CART services for Deaf people who are going.

BUS ACCESS: The site is on a regular bus line 

SENATOR BENJAMIN KRUSE PARTICIPATES IN BROOKLYN PARK “BEANS FOR THE TROOPS” EVENT

Senator Benjamin Kruse (R-Brooklyn Park) will join “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” organizers for two “Beans for the Troops” events at the Brooklyn Park Caribou Coffee. The event will be collecting coffee bean donations to send to Minnesota’s Red Bull Division stationed in Kuwait and to Minnesota soldiers who are stateside but cannot be home for the holidays.

The event will take place at Caribou Coffee in Brooklyn Park at 9638 Colorado Lane North on two Fridays, December 2nd and 9th from 7:00AM until 9:00AM. 

Kansas teen won't apologize to governor's office for Twitter post

SOURCE: CNN

By Karen Smith, CNN

(CNN) -- A high school senior, who faces a Monday morning deadline to apologize to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback for a disparaging tweet, has said she will not write the apology letter.

"I don't think I should write the letter, and I don't think it would be the best move for me," Emma Sullivan, 18, said late Sunday night. "At this time, I do not think an apology would be a sincere thing for me to do."

Sullivan said her parents and many of her peers support her decision.

The teen made national headlines last week for a tweet she said was intended just for her friends.

A Kansas teen said she will not apologize for her disparaging tweet about Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

During a Kansas Youth in Government field trip to the state Capitol on November 21, Sullivan wrote: "Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot."

The Shawnee Mission East senior said she did not actually talk to Brownback, and the post referenced a joke she had with a student on the trip.

The next day, she was called into the principal's office.

"I had no idea what it was about or why I was being called into the office," she said. "I had never been in trouble before."

A Brownback staffer had notified the principal, she said.

"My principal told me he needed to do damage control and was really upset," Sullivan said. "He said I was an embarrassment to the school and the school district and that I had been disrespectful."

The principal then asked her to write a letter of apology to Brownback and his staff. He set Monday as the due date for the letter.

Sullivan said she did not know what will happen when she does not turn in the letter Monday. But she hopes the tweet will bring attention to the issue of free speech.

"I hope there won't be any consequences and that my principal and the governor's office can move on," she said. "The issue is relevant and, if anything, is a starting point of dialog with the governor about his policies and how our First Amendment rights can be taken away."

Sullivan said she has not heard from the governor's office directly. But, following the media attention, her Twitter follower count has rocketed from 65 to more than 4,000 in the last week.

"I hope that the governor realizes the power of the people and how people can make things happen," she said. "I also hope he will spend his time doing more productive things."

Rep. Barney Frank Won't Be Running For Re-Election

SOURCE: MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO

by Eyder Peralta, National Public Radio

November 28, 2011

(This post was retopped at 2:20 p.m. ET.)

Barney Frank, one of the most passionate liberals in Washington and the first member of Congress to openly acknowledge being gay, announced today that he will not seek a 17th term.

The 71-year-old lawmaker, who in recent years was best known for legislation aimed at tightening regulations on Wall Street and toughening consumerprotections, said redistricting in Massachusetts would have meant he would need to spend too much time introducing himself to new constituents before next November's election and not enough on the issues he cares about.

We began this post at 10 a.m. ET. Read through to see how the story developed and our earlier updates:

10 a.m. ET: WBUR in Boston reports it has confirmed that Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will not seek re-election in 2012.

CNN says that "Frank, a 16-term Democrat, will announce Monday he does not intend to seek re-election in 2012, according to a statement from [his] office."

Back in February, Frank announced he would run again in 2012, saying he wanted to "defend the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act" that he helped enact and wanted to work to "reduce significantly America's swollen, unnecessary, worldwide military footprint." It isn't known yet why he's apparently reversed course.

Watch It's All Politics for more on this.

Update at 11:52 p.m. ET. Frank Will Announce Decision Today:

The New York Times reports that Frank will announce his decision at a 1 p.m. ET. press conference in Newton, Mass.

The Times adds that one of the fiercest liberals in the House is retiring after facing one his toughest reelection campaigns in 2010. The 2012 election has gotten even tougher for him after redistricting:

His Fourth District falls mostly in southern Massachusetts but also includes the famously liberal Boston suburbs of Newton and Brookline. Under a new redistricting plan that Gov. Deval Patrick, a fellow Democrat, signed into law last week, Mr. Frank's district would have lost heavily Democratic city of New Bedford and gained some more conservative towns.

Update at 12:02 p.m. ET. A Bit Of Biography:

The Boston Globe has a bit of Frank's biography:

Former party head Philip W. Johnston told the Globe: "He was brilliant, funny, acerbic, strategic, and unashamedly liberal. And they're in short supply these days."

Frank, 71, was raised in New Jersey but schooled at Harvard University and Harvard Law School, endowing him with a street-fighter's mouth and an academic's wit.

He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1972 and the US House eight years later. In 1987, he became the first member of the chamber to voluntarily acknowledge he was gay. Two years later, he was involved in a scandal in which a live-in boyfriend operated a gay prostitute service from his home. The House ended up reprimanding Frank for the incident.

More recently, he has been one of President Obama's most important allies but also a target of Republicans. They accuse him of helping create the country's housing collapse by pushing the government and banks into approving loans to unqualified buyers.

In 2008, Frank was one of the writers of the Wall Street bailout, known as TARP. In 2010, as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, he co-wrote and assured passage of "Dodd-Frank," which enacted major Wall Street regulatory reforms.

Update at 1 p.m. ET. It's Official; Frank Says Redistricting Is The Reason:

The congressman is holding a news conference right now, and WBUR is webcasting here. As it reported earlier, "Massachusetts lawmakers just redrew Frank's current 4th Congressional District, making it larger and eliminating New Bedford, where he held a lot of support." The 71-year-old lawmaker says that running for re-election in a district that is "half new" would have required that he spend a lot of time introducing himself to new constituents. Instead, he says, he wants to concentrate for the next year on defending the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and making the case that deficit reduction requires raising taxes on the wealthy and trimming defense spending as well as other sacrifices.

SPECIAL ELECTION CANDIDATE PROFILE: Running for office turned into reality after running in marathons, Jacob Frey wants to run for State Senate

One of early candidate jumped into State Senate race was Jacob Frey, a trial lawyer for a private practice and is very active in DFL Party and community with progressive values. He lives in Northeast Minneapolis with his wife, Michelle who he met at Twin Cities Marathon. Jacob grew up on East Coast but fell in love with Minnesota when he was vacationing and decided to spend his life in Minneapolis.

Frey’s issues are: Jobs, Taxes, Marriage for equality and opposed to marriage amendment, oppose funding for new stadium, Education, Early Childhood Education, Local Government Aid, Neighborhood Revitalization Program, Public Safety, and Don’t Dump on Northeast.

Candidate Information: 

Name: Jacob Frey

Political Party: DFL

Age: 30

Home: Minneapolis

Family: Wife Michelle

Occupation: Attorney at Faegre & Benson, DFL and Community Activist

Education: The College of William and Mary and Villanova University

Contact information: 

Website: http://www.jacobfreyforsenate.com

Twitter: @Jacob_Frey

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/FreyForSenate

Quist making another run for Congress

SOURCE: MPR CAPITOL VIEW 

Allen Quist is making another run for Congress in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. He is scheduled to formally announce his intentions on December 1, according to a letter he sent to GOP activists. The letter, obtained by MPR News, has a banner that says "Allen Quist for Congress, 'Restoring the American Dream."

"I am announcing to you that I will become a candidate for First District Congress," Quist's letter to activists said. "I intend to announce on December 1."

The letter said Quist will be making campaign stops in Winona, Rochester, Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna on Thursday. He'll campaign in Mankato, New Ulm, Fairmont and Worthington on Friday. Quist's wife, Julie Quist, declined to answer questions about the letter when contacted by MPR News.

"Allen will be announcing a decision next Thursday, December 1st, in Winona at 8:00 am," Julie Quist wrote in an e-mail "He won't be doing any interviews before that time."

In his letter, Quist said he's making another run for Congress because "grassroots Republicans have encouraged him to run." He also said the country needed "leaders who understand that our country is being taken over a cliff."

Quist lost the GOP endorsement in 2010 to Randy Demmer. He also made two unsuccessful runs for governor in 1994 and 1998. He won the GOP endorsement for governor in 1994 but lost in the primary to incumbent Gov. Arne Carlson. Quist also served in the Minnesota House from 1983 until he retired in 1989.

Quist's decision means there will be an endorsement battle to see who will be the party's eventual nominee. Another Republican, state Sen. Mike Parry of Waseca, is also running.

The eventual GOP nominee is expected to square off with DFL Rep. Tim Walz. Walz was first elected in 2006.

The big question mark is how the court draws the new political boundaries for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. The current district extends across the southern border from South Dakota to Wisconsin. It includes Rochester, Worthington, Mankato, Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna and Winona.

A court appointed panel will release the new political boundaries on Feb. 21 if Gov. Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature can't reach agreement before then. The process known as redistricting requires every district to be equal population based on the once a decade population count by the U.S. Census.

(MPR's Rupa Shenoy contributed to this report)

St. Paul City Council inaugural ball set for Jan. 6

SOURCE: STAR TRIBUNE

Save the date for the St. Paul City Council's inaugural ball: It's Jan. 6 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown.

The seven council members will be sworn in two days earlier. Five are returning incumbents while two new members, Chris Tolbert and Amy Brendmoen, will join them.

The event ball is open to the public. A $10 donation and a reservation are requested. A cash bar will be available, and heavy appetizers are part of the entry fee. The attire is billed as semiformal, but as Council President Kathy Lantry said, "This is St. Paul; you wear whatever you want, whenever you want."

Lantry's aide Ellen Biales is working on the details and has lined up the requisite union band -- Rich and the Resistors.

According to their website, the Richfield-based Resistors have a "gift for finding YOUR frequency. With a turbo-charged songbook ranging from rock to blues to the best party hits, the Resistors" can "turn on the juice."

Tickets will be available in mid-December.

ROCHELLE OLSON

SPECIAL ELECTION CANDIDATE PROFILE: FIRST SOMILIAN CANDIDATE FOR STATE OFFICE

There is a Somilian Immigrant running for State Senate to replace Senator Larry Pogemiller who resigned to get a job with Gov. Mark Dayton’s Administration. Mohamud Noor lives in Northeast Minneapolis with wife and three kids.  If he is elected to Senate then he would be first Somali to be elected to Minnesota Legislature. According to his website, his issues are Jobs, Tax Fairness, Marriage and he thinks that building stadium is not biggest concern.

His primary opponents are Jacob Frey and Peter Wagenius. He used to be in MAPE due to his job as IT but had to resign to focus on campaign. He served two terms on Council of Black Minnesotans.

Name: Mohamud Noor

Political Party: DFL

Age: Unknown

Home: Minneapolis

Family: Farhiya Del and 3 children

Occupation: Used to be IT but now running for State Senate

Website: http://www.noorforsenate.org/

Oklahoma State coaches die in plane crash in mountainous terrain

SOURCE: LA TIMES

Oklahoma State women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna were on a recruiting trip for the OSU Cowgirls on when their single-engine plane crashed Thursday evening in mountainous terrain in Arkansas.

Budke and Serna died along with the pilot and another individual, who was not affiliated with the university. There were no survivors in the crash of the plane in the eastern Ouachita Mountains in Perry County, Ark.

The cause of the crash has not been announced, and, according to the Associated Press, the National Transportation Safety Board said it could take nine months for its investigators to determine the reason the plane went down.

Budke, 50, had been the Cowgirls' coach since 2005. He helped transform a team that had been winless in the Big 12 in his first season to a perennial conference contender.

Serna had been an assistant for Budke for seven seasons, including a stint at Louisiana Tech.

The Cowgirls opened the season Sunday with a 96-60 win over Rice in Stillwater.

OSU President Burns Hargis said Friday in a statement that the school  was "devastated by this tragedy."

Associate head coach Jim Littell will take over as head interim head coach. The team's weekend games against Grambling State and Texas-Arlington have been canceled.

Budke is survived by his wife, Shelly, and three children, Sara, Alex and Brett. Sara is a student at Oklahoma State.

Mens' basketball Coach Travis Ford told reporters that he went to Budke's house as soon as he heard about the crash.

"I just found out and there are so many unanswered questions," Ford said. "I just saw him. We talked every single day. He came to my shootarounds. It just doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem real."

Sheriff Stanek protographed arrests in Chicago of Occupy protesters last month

SOURCE: STAR TRIBUNE 

by: Randy Furst

Recent news reports have described collaboration among different cities in dealing with their Occupy Wall Street protests. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said today that while he was in Chicago and Washington, D.C. on other business last month, he took photographs at the Occupy sites where protesters had been camping out. In Chicago, he said he took photos of law enforcement officers making arrests.

“I took photos at both sites, brought them back and shared them with my command staff,” he said. “We took photos of tents, numbers of people, some of the tactics used,” he said. “In Chicago, I was there when they made arrests.”

The Occupy Chicago protest at Grant Park happened to be across the street from the hotel where he was staying on Oct. 22, he said. “It wasn’t what I had planned on doing,” he said, referring to the photographing of arrests of demonstrators.

Stanek declined to talk about the substance of the conversations he had with officials in the two cities. Asked what impressions he had of the Chicago  and Washington, D.C. occupations, he said, “My impression is that they are just what we have here.” He was in Washington on Oct. 12, he said.

Stanek has deployed deputies to the Government Center plaza, ever since Occupy Minnesota began its protest there on Oct. 7. His supervisory staff have had daily meetings with the protest group's representatives, and although there have been several incidents, there have been no mass arrests, or attempts to force the protesters from the plaza. The county board has passed a resolution saying that starting this past Monday, the protesters could stay on the plaza, including overnight, but could not go to sleep there. The county has not attempted to enforce the sleeping rule although some protesters say they have gone to sleep. If the county did enforce the sleeping rule, according to the sheriff's office, county security staff would hand a protester a notice of trespass, ordering the protester off the property. If the protester refused to go, security staff could ask deputies to arrest the person. 

Asked if he had participated in conference calls with other cities about the occupations, Stanek said he declined to comment, adding, “I am not going to discuss what discussions I have had with other agencies across the country. Of course, law enforcement officials talk with other law enforcement officials.”

A march to the 10th Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis is scheduled for 4 p.m. today. According to news reports, Duluth police have notified Occupy protesters they must stop camping out in front of city hall by this weekend or they will be removed. The police department issued a news release today, saying it will  hold a brief news conference at 4:30 p.m. "regarding the eviction  of Occupy Duluth."

Crew cut official governor's Christmas tree

SOURCE: KARE 11

PINE CITY, Minn. - A crew has cut down a 50-foot balsam fir in the Chengwatana State Forest that will grace the Governor's Residence in St. Paul this holiday season.

The Department of Natural Resources harvested the tree on Thursday. Members of Conservation Corps Minnesota assisted with the cutting and loading of the tree.

The tree will be set up at the governor's official residence on Summit Avenue on Monday morning.

A Profile of Hastings Mayor Paul Hicks by Jordan Engel

SOURCE: HASTINGS HAPPENINGS

By Jordan Engel, HastingsHappenings.com correspondent

Paul Hicks is a father, a Vikings, Gophers, and a Twins fan, loves to hang around friends and family, and is the Mayor of Hastings, Minnesota.

Mayor Paul Hicks first got interested in politics when he was nine years old and started watching the national news. On the news that year was the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Presidential election. He was “mortified” when he found out that Robert Kennedy had been assassinated that year as well. He also loved how the presidents and other political leaders were chosen. 1968 was the year that Hicks decided he wanted to be in government.

When asked what his favorite things about being mayor are, Hicks replied with, “I really enjoy working with fellow citizens and neighbors and trying to make our lives better in our city. It is a pleasure to be working with such talented colleagues on the city council and with city staff.”

He also likes working on big city projects like the new bridge and the economic development. Hicks also visits the schools to educate them on role of city government.

“The city provides such vital services to our residents in police, fire protection and ambulance service, provide clean water and managing it, maintaining and plowing our streets, great parks and facilities for recreation. Our quality of life depends on it.”

Hicks was elected to city council in 1990. He ran for mayor in 2006. That is also the year he campaigned for Hastings to get a new bridge. Not only a new bridge, but better economic developments, continued fiscal responsibilities and improved communications with the people. “I believe that we are seeing successes in all those areas and that was the reason I chose to run for re-election last year.”

As the Mayor of Hastings, Paul Hicks is the “spokesman” of the city, meaning he usually speaks to the media about what’s happening in the city. He often goes to community events and government entities such as school board meetings. “One important role of the Mayor is to chair the Council meetings and provide leadership at those meetings.  As Mayor, I am required to sign numerous official documents on behalf of the city.”

Not only is Paul Hicks the Mayor of Hastings, but he is also the father of Danielle, his 12-year-old daughter. He is very interested in history, mainly the Civil War.

“I love doing a lot of reading of the Civil War period.” Hicks also enjoys going to Vikings, Gopher, and Twins games throughout the year. He travels, plays golf, and goes fishing at his brother’s cabin. If you’re lucky you may even be able to get him to sing some karaoke for you.

“One of my favorite things is to have a nice dinner with a glass of wine with friends and family around the table and discuss the topics of the day,” he said.

Now you know the many roles that Paul Hicks has as the Mayor. You also learned that he is a father, a sports fan, and a karaoke singer.

Rach's Political Report Facebook Fan Page is out!

If you are on Facebook, good news is that I have decide to launch a fan page for Rach's Political Report. I will be putting latest links over there and people can discuss or write up their own opinion.

Link to Facebook Page

I am catching up to latest technology and please bear with me as I am learning new things.

PETA Tells Mario to Ditch the Fur

SOURCE: GEEK SUGAR

We may be excited for Super Mario 3D Land, but there's one group who certainly isn't. PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says that when Mario dons a Tanooki suit in the game, he's giving the green light to would-be fur wearers.

According to PETA: "Tanooki may be just a "suit" in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur."

Mario's use of Tanooki is nothing new. First introduced in 1988 in Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario used the Tanooki tail to fly and do spin attacks. Since tanukis hold a place in Japanese folklore associated with good fortune, it could be argued that Mario is simply harnessing the spirit of the animal.

PETA's campaign against Mario even includes a (warning) rather gruesome 8-bit online game called Super Tanooki Skin 2D that looks like a variation of the Super Mario Bros. game in which you chase Mario to reclaim Tanooki's fur. What do you think of PETA's claims? Is it another PR stunt or do you agree it encourages fur wearing?

State Rep. Bobby Joe Champion announces plans to seek Senate seat.

St. Paul-- State Rep. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL- Minneapolis) announced his intention to seek the Senate District 58 Seat being vacated by Sen. Linda Higgins (DFL- Minneapolis).

"I am inspired by my Senator, and I wish her all the best as she continues to advocate for the people of Minnesota. I can only hope to continue her work and represent the needs and values of our district in the State Senate.”

“We cannot continue to take out loans on our children’s futures to pay for the services we need today, “ Champion said. “We need an education system that gives all kids the opportunity to succeed; budget policies that ask the wealthiest Minnesotans to pay their fair share; equal access to quality health care; improvements in our affordable housing; and smart investments in economic development and jobs. I look forward to bringing my voice to the Senate just as I’ve done in the House.”

Champion was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2008, and said he is eager to continue fighting for a better Minnesota, with a priority on using balanced budget approaches.

Outside serving in the Minnesota House, Champion meets the needs of his community as an attorney, with a focus on family law and juvenile justice. Champion lives in the Lyn Park neighborhood in Minneapolis with his wife Dr. Angela Champion and their children.

Live stream of Occupy Wall Street raid

Watch live streaming video from occupynyc at livestream.com

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

This is live feed of what is happening at Occupy Wall street. Police are raiding encampments, keep people barricaded, arrests made and many things going at once.

Senator Higgins will not seek re-election

State Senator Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis, announced today she will not seek re-election in 2012.

Sen. Higgins plans to complete her current term, which expires in January of 2013, and is looking forward to representing her constituents during the 2012 Legislative Session.

“I’ve been honored to serve the residents of North and Downtown Minneapolis for 15 years. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to serve our community.” Sen. Higgins was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1996 and represents the residents of North Minneapolis, North Loop, and Downtown in Senate District 58.

During her 15 years of service in the Senate, Sen. Higgins has held many leadership roles. She chaired the Senate’s Public Safety Budget Division from 2006 to 2010 and the State and Local Government Operations Committee from 2003 to 2006. She served as Majority Whip from 2001 to 2006. She currently is the DFL lead on the Senate’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

 Sen. Higgins is widely regarded as one of the Legislature’s most effective and outspoken advocates on environmental and consumer protection issues.

During her 15 years at the Senate, Sen. Higgins:

 · Wrote and passed toughest-in-the-nation predatory lending and foreclosure prevention laws with strong bipartisan support.

 · Passed legislation to make it easier for Minnesotans to recycle old televisions, computers or other “e-waste,” the largest source of lead found in Minnesota’s municipal waste.

 · Made Minnesota the first state in the nation to ban toxic metals like lead and cadmium from children’s toys and jewelry, and banned environmentally hazardous phosphorus from lawn fertilizers.

 · Passed bipartisan, groundbreaking legislation to establish a special sentencing program for veterans facing criminal prosecution who suffer from combat-related mental health disorders.

 · Was named to Senate negotiations team for bills on issues as diverse as eminent domain, Minnesota Twins ballpark, public safety and judiciary policy and funding, environmental policy and funding, healthcare policy and funding, and early childhood education policy and funding.

Senate DFL Caucus Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said Sen. Higgins’s leadership and experience would be sorely missed at the State Capitol. “Linda has been one of the strongest and most effective legislators in recent memory,” said Sen. Bakk. “When the foreclosure crisis struck North Minneapolis, Linda rolled up her sleeves and passed the toughest anti-predatory lending laws in the nation. She tackles difficult issues, but works across party lines to build consensus, remove barriers and deliver results for her constituents and our state.”

COUNCILMAN DAVE THUNE GET TO KEEP HIS JOB AT CITY HALL

BY RACH EGGERT, RACH'S POLITICAL REPORT

Councilman Dave Thune get to keep his job at St. Paul City Hall after all. Last week, it was too close call to determine the winner of St. Paul second ward council seat. They had to do recount by hand and ballot are in piles by who have more votes. You can find results at Ramsey County Elections website. If you notice "suspended vote", it mean no vote for council candidates but people chose to vote for School Board candidates only. 

You can watch videos at The Uptake. they carried it live earlier but in case if you missed them, you can watch them.  

There even was some discussion on recounting process om Dave Thune Fcebook page.

Control of Virginia Senate uncertain after split vote

SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS

By Matthew A. Ward | Reuters 

PORTSMOUTH, Va (Reuters) - Virginians face months of uncertainty over how their state Senate will operate when it reopens for business next year after a Democratic incumbent's concession sealed a 20-20 split between the two parties.

Edd Houck publicly conceded to Republican Bryce Reeves on Facebook late Thursday afternoon, two days after the election in the state assembly's 17th District.

Houck had been trailing by less than 100 votes, but as the margin began to widen, the senator said he decided against seeking a recount after consulting his legal team and campaign advisers.

Old Dominion University assistant political science professor Jesse Richman said Republicans are now trying to make the case that they have effective control of the chamber with the deciding vote of Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, one of their own.

But under these circumstances, there is no precedent for Republicans taking control of the Senate. Doing so would give them all three tiers of the state's government, with a Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, and an increased majority in the House of Delegates after Tuesday's election.

A power-sharing deal was hatched in 1995, the only other time the Senate has split.

"Will Republicans succeed in pushing this through? It's not at all clear. But it seems very likely to me that they will try," Richman said.

"My best guess is Republicans will try to capture all (committee) chairmanships. They may succeed. But it's by no means guaranteed. They may have to concede more power to the Democrats."

College of William & Mary professor of government John McGlennon said the 1995 deal "didn't turn out all that well" for Republicans.

"The governor and the Senate actually engaged in some very significant policy disagreements," McGlennon said, adding the period saw "very bitter exchanges" between members of the Senate's Republican caucus and Governor Jim Gilmore "over taxing and spending policies in particular."

"I think there's always the potential for the institutional rivalry among the branches of government to substitute for partisan rivalry."

McGlennon said an even split in the Virginia state Senate means Democrats will chair some committees. "This notion that one party rule has returned to Virginia is a bit overblown," he said.

Governor McDonnell, he said, could recruit Democrats by offering full-time positions with generous state pensions -- a move he says Republicans cornered after the last split -- but that McDonnell could sabotage any vice-presidential candidacy ambitions by using Republican control of the General Assembly to ram through a hard-right agenda.

According to Richman, what form the Senate ultimately takes will not be known before it meets again early January.

"We have a period of roughly two months when there's going to be at least some degree of uncertainty about how the Senate will be organized," Richman said.

Whatever the outcome, McGlennon, meanwhile, discounts the mostly-Republican view that the election result spells trouble for President Barrack Obama next year.

"Many voters who didn't participate (on Tuesday) will be there at the polls during the presidential elections," he said.

(Editing by Tim Gaynor and David Bailey)