Rach's Political Report

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Sharon Wolcott wins Surprise mayor election

SOURCE: AZ CENTRAL

by Dustin Gardiner and Amy B Wang - Nov. 8, 2011

Sharon Wolcott appears to have ousted incumbent Lyn Truitt in the runoff election for Surprise mayor, a contentious contest driven by concerns about accountability and financial missteps at City Hall.

Wolcott, a former city councilwoman, was leading by a wide margin in unofficial results on Tuesday night in the mail-ballot election. The early results were from ballots counted through 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Some residents voted at Surprise City Hall until the polls closed at 7 p.m. A final tally was expected from the Maricopa County Elections Department later in the week.

The election caps two years of political infighting and a series of major financial missteps in the northwest Valley city of about 117,000. Audits have revealed sweeping accounting errors, including $73 million that was misallocated over a decade to build a new City Hall complex, recreation campus and
other projects.

"They're looking for change, they're looking for transparency and openness,'' a jubilant Wolcott said as she celebrated the news with more than 100 rowdy supporters at an Irish pub near City Hall. "I can't wait to go to work for you."

Pam Hilinski, a Wolcott supporter, said Wolcott "has the skills that are necessary for the job."

Hilinski said Surprise needs an experienced leader and can no longer be run like a small city of 15,000.

Wolcott seized on residents' sense of dissatisfaction, contrasting herself as a change agent while she portrayed Truitt as an idle, hands-off mayor. Her campaign blamed Truitt for the misallocation of money, though many of the policy decisions were made before Truitt took office in 2008.

Truitt ran a far less visible campaign than Wolcott and focused on his record; his campaign motto was "Promises Kept."

He touted endorsements from GOP leaders across the state and his supporters fiercely attacked Wolcott over her political background--she served in the Minnesota Legislature as a Democrat for 12 years.

Truitt watched the results with about two dozen supporters at a TGI Friday's in Surprise. At his party earlier in the night, the atmosphere was jovial. Shortly after 8 p.m., the call from the Surprise city clerk came.

Truitt stepped out of the side room and returned to thank his supporters.

"Unfortunately, we didn't do it tonight," he said.

The room seemed stunned. There were audible gasps and groans.

"It's disappointing," Truitt said. "God bless our city. Thanks again, everybody."

City Clerk Sherry Aguilar said ballots cast after 2 p.m. Tuesday will be tallied by county officials starting Wednesday. Final results are expected by Friday

SERIES OF MINNESOTA STATE LEGISLATURE OLD TIMERS: SHARON MARKO/WOLCOTT

By Rach Eggert, Rach's Political Report

This is first series of "Minnesota Legislature Old Timers". The series will cover former Minnesota State Legislators and what they are up to today.

As Minnesota Legislative Junkie, have you been wondering about where old timers such as Former State Senator Sharon Marko is? A source pointed out that now she is Sharon Wolcott living in Surprise, Arizona. According to her Mayorial campaign website, she fell in love with town when she was vacationing.

Sharon Marko used to be in Minnesota House from 1995 to 2002 then Minnesota Senate from 2003 to 2006. Before she won election to Legislature, she was on Newport City Council from 1992 to 1994 but was on St. Charles City, Ill City Council before moving to Minnesota.

Click here for her Mayorial campaign website

Here are pictures of Sharon Marko/Wolcott.

Sharon Marko when she was in Minnesota Senate

Sharon Wolcott in Surprise, AZ

This is Sharon Wolcott in Surprise AZ

This was Sharon Marko from Minnesota Senate days

If you know where other former legislators are and what they are doing, please email Rach's Political Report at senatoreggert@yahoo.com if you want them to be featured on Rach's Political Report.

WINNERS OF SAINT PAUL CITY ELECTIONS ARE....

Here are list of Tuesday's St. Paul City election winners:
FIRST WARD: Melvin Carter
SECOND WARD: Dave Thune (will need to be recounted on 11/14/11)
THIRD WARD: Chris Tolbert
FOURTH WARD: Russ Stark
FIFTH WARD: Amy Brendmoen
SIXTH WARD: Dan Bostrom
SEVENTH WARD: Kathy Lantry

SCHOOL BOARD:
Anne Carroll
Keith Hardy
Mary Doran
Louise Seeba

Congratulations to those winners on their victories and they will be sworn in sometimes during January.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Dahle announces he'll run for state Senate in 2012 UPDATED

SOURCE: NORTHFIELD NEWS

By SUZANNE ROOK, srook@northfieldnews.com

11/6/2011

Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today that he's running to reclaim a seat in the Legislature.

"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote on his website.

If elected, Dahle, 51, said he’d look to “compromise and work together,” two things he says were noticeably absent in the current Legislature and highlighted by July’s nearly three-week state government shutdown.

Dahle isn’t the only one to criticize the K-12 education funding shift approved in July. By essentially borrowing from the schools, opponents of the plan have said that the state hasn’t yet learned to live within its means.

“There were a lot of short-term bad solutions (approved by the 2011 Legislature),” he said.

While Dahle, a Northfield High School social studies teacher, is particularly interested in the K-12 funding shift, the economy would be his first priority.

Dahle said he’d also like to give a voice to issues important to Northfield, particularly taxes for properties in historic business districts and lifting a gag order on the Dan Patch railroad line.

"I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before … what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."

Dahle was beaten last November by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.

Dahle was elected in a January 2008 special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Tom Neuville after Neuville was appointed a Third District judge.

Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet announced his intent to run he'll run, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.

The current redistricting plan, put forward in May 2010 by the Legislature, splits Rice County lengthwise generally along I-35. Called Senate district 22, it includes the eastern portion of Steele County along with small eastern sections of Goodhue and Olmstead counties.

Redistricting is expected to be complete by Feb. 21, according to a state Legislature timeline.

The primary is set for Aug. 14. The general election will be held next Nov. 6.

* * * *

UPDATED: SUNDAY 6:18 P.M.

Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today that he's running to reclaim a seat in the Legislature.

"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote on his website.

“There were a lot of short-term bad solutions (approved by the 2011 Legislature),” he said.

While Dahle, a Northfield High School social studies teacher, is particularly interested in the K-12 funding shift, the economy would be his first priority.

Dahle said he’d also like to give a voice to issues important to Northfield, particularly taxes for properties in historic business districts and lifting a gag order on the Dan Patch railroad line.

Dahle was elected in a January 2008 special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Tom Neuville after Neuville was appointed a Third District judge.

The primary is set for Aug. 14, 2012. The general election will be held next Nov. 5.

* * * *

Former state Sen. Kevin Dahle (DFL), of Northfield, announced today on his website that he'll try and reclaim a seat in the Legislature.

"I believe in possibilities," Dahle wrote. "I believe we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lay before us. What will break the people of Minnesota is not adversity – we’ve been here before…what will break our spirit is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. If we think that government cannot change that which is broken, we lose interest, we lose faith, we lose the people…but worst of all, we lose the future."

Dahle was beaten in November 2010 by Republican Al DeKruif of Elysian. In a three-way race, DeKruif took 44.7 percent of the vote to Dahle's 42 percent. Montgomery's John Grimm, who ran as an independent, got 13.2 percent of the vote.

Dahle, 51, is a social studies teacher at Northfield High School.

Whether Dahle will face off against DeKruif in November isn't yet known. While DeKruif hasn't yet said he'll run for re-election, the shape District 25 will take is also in question. Every district in the state is expected to be reconfigured in the coming months as a part of a decennial reapportionment following the 2010 U.S. Census.

Stay with Northfield News for the latest on this story.

IT IS OFFICIAL FORMER STATE SENATOR DAHLE IS RUNNING AGAIN

Former State Senator Kevin Dahle during 2010 Special Session (Picture by Rach Eggert)

Former State Senator Kevin Dahle want to make comeback to Minnesota State Senate after losing election in 2010. He made it official on his campaign website:

LET’S RECLAIM OUR VOICE!

Published On: 2nd November 2011 | Published By: Kevin Dahle For Senate

Just about a year from now, we will cast votes for the President, a U.S. Senator, numerous county and city offices, and a new Minnesota legislature. I am announcing my plans to, once again, run for a seat in the Minnesota Senate. This election is not about getting my “old seat back.” This election is about reclaiming a voice for Senate District 25 and all Minnesotans. The current party in power in the Minnesota legislature fails to listen. This past summer’s government shutdown proved they are more concerned about their party platform than the constituents who elected them. I worry about the tone of today’s politics and our basic priorities.
We talk about recession…yet ignore the needy
We talk about test scores…while ignoring educational funding.
We talk about wanting quality health care, yet over 400,000 Minnesotans go without.
We talk about local control, yet we starve our cities and counties.
We talk about Republicans and Democrats yet we forget about Minnesotans
I believe the basics include a job, a quality education, affordable college, a clean and healthy environment, equality for all, and a right to grow old with dignity.
We are facing a critical time in Minnesota. We can no longer allow extreme political agendas to divide us — the success of our state and our communities depends on our ability to find common ground on many critical issues.
We can do this together. When we stop working together government ceases to work. Again, let’s make Minnesota proud!

Yes, he is running and want his job back at the Capitol. His campaign website is http://www.kevindahle.net/. He is Social Studies teacher and lives in Northfield besides served in Senate for one term after winning special election in 2008 to replace Senator Tom Neuville who was appointed to be Judge by Former Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Are you on Twitter and into Congress?

CSPAN (@cspan) have list of Congressmen and Congresswomen who usually tweet. If you are Congressional junkie or try to figure if your Congressperson have Twitter or not.

Some Members of Congress do tweet by themselves when some of their staff who are usually assigned to social media or Social networking duty.

Here are some Tweets by Congressperson or their staff: