By David Litin
Murphy News Service
With the midterm election less than two months away, both major political parties are revved up to face off in many state and federal races.
The governor’s mansion changed parties in 2010 after Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty left office and Democrat Mark Dayton was elected.
“We had narrowly lost that race,” said Keith Downey, chairman of Minnesota’s Republican Party.
But with the Republicans maintaining control of the both chambers in the state’s legislature until 2012, Minnesota began to show signs of improvement, he submitted.
Downey said there was heavy lifting for the winning party with the state facing a $1.2 billion deficit in 2010, according to 2009-10 state budget.
“They voted us in to take care of it,” Downey said.
Downey said the state grew jobs and the economy in the years that the Republicans had control of both houses,
“There was a strong growth in Minnesota,” he said.
DFL Takes Control
Yet Minnesotans voted in 2012 to hand the power back to the Democrats.
Ellen Perrault, communication director of the Minnesota DFL, said Minnesota has been on the right track since Dayton took office.
She added that Dayton and the DFL contributed to the state’s expanding economy. Dayton invested some of the state’s money into programs that help bring new jobs to Minnesota, Perrault said.
But Minnesota isn’t just improving economically. Perrault said that the DFL helped push for a bigger investment in education, increase in minimum wage and marriage equality.
A Lot At Stake
There are a lot at stake with this election for Downey and Perrault.
A poll published Sept. 14 by the Star Tribune showed Dayton and U.S. Sen. Al Franken lead by double digits among Minnesota voters.
Perrault said this election is about the progress achieved by Dayton and the DFL-run legislature.
When asked about the state’s role in financing part of the Minnesota Vikings’ new stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Perrault said it’s important to look at details that go beyond just funding it. She added that while the stadium financing was not without controversy the project will create jobs and the stadium will accommodate events year-round besides just Vikings games.
The Republican party’s Downey added, “Mistrust in our [federal] government is at an all-time low,” which means, he said, that there needs to be a leader (in the governor’s mansion) who can take on the issues that are important to every-day Minnesotans — including getting the budget under control.
Elections will be held on Nov. 4.
David Litin is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.