On Tuesday night, February 2, 2010, Minnesotans will endure snow and freezing temperatures to participate in a time-honored political ritual--- the Minnesota precinct caucuses. As former Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill once famously said "all politics is local", and the Minnesota cacuses are a manifestation of those local politics as friends and neighbors gather to get reacquantied with each other and discuss, debate, and argue the political issues and candidates of the upcoming important elections.
In 2010 in the state of Minnesota, the upcoming important election is the race for Governor. The current officeholder, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty is not running for a third term and is even mulling a possible 2012 presidential bid. I have NO idea why this guy is presidential timber. He won BOTH of his elections for governor with less than 50% of the vote (43% and 47% respectively with the help of a third party presence), is not very popular in his own state, carries very little political clout in his own state (Pawlenty endorsed John McCain in the 2008 caucuses, who was soundly defeated by Mitt Romney), and has very little of a national following a la Sarah Palin (or even Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee). But I digress. The bottom line is that Pawlenty's absence from the race leaves it wide open and no less than 20 candidates are vying to succeed him.
There are NINE major Democratic-Farmer-Labor (as the Democratic Party is called in MN) candidates running for the party endorsement. These include many heavy hitters in state politics: (1)mayor of the state's largest city (RT Rybak); (2) Speaker of the MN House of Representatives (Margaret Anderson Kelliher); (3) a former House Minority Leader (Matt Entenza); (4) the prosecuting attorney of one of MN's most populous counties (Susan Gaertner); (5) a former state senator who was nearly the 2006 nominee (Steve Kelley); (6) a long time state senator who was the nominee in 1994 (John Marty); (7) a state representative from the largest city and considered a rising star (Paul Thissen) and two heavyweights from the state's northern section known as the Iron Range, (8) a state senator (Tom Bakk) and (9) a long-time state representative (Tom Rukavina). There is actually a tenth (!) candidate, who is also a very heavy hitter, former US Senator Mark Dayton, who is eschewing to endorsement process and will participate in the primary election only. So any of the nine aforementioned candidates who gets the party's endorsement at the state convention will have the unenviable task of facing Dayton, plus any other candidate who opts not to "abide" by the offical party endorsement.
At this year's caucuses two important things will happen with regards to the governor's race. There will be a non-binding preferential straw poll and there will the election of delegates to go onto the local conventions (either senate district or county conventions depending on the size) where the state convention delegates will be elected. Although the straw poll is non-binding, a good performance can be a show of strong grassroots support.
I have particpated in many caucuses over the years (including 2008's record turnout where Barack Obama scored an overwhelming victory) and went to the state convention in 2006 and 2008. I am a precinct chair and the secretary of my local party unit. I have been inundated with phone calls, e-mails, and campaign literature in my mailbox from the candidates trying to appeal for my support. I was undecided for the longest time, but find myself leaning towards the more progressive candidates of the lot (state Sen. John Marty, state Rep. Tom Rukavina, and former state Sen. Steve Kelley). I also have some reservations of the perceived front runner (Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher), but would support ANY of these candidates over any Republican (or third party) candidate.
So it will be interesting to see how it will all unfold tomorrow night. Some candidacies will be made stronger, other's dreams will die. Hopefully, we will all have a better idea as to who will be Minnesota's next DEMOCRATIC governor.