Legislative Update

from Minnesota Snowmobiling - October 2021

Calendar of Events

Legislative and Political Musings

An opinion article by Doug Franzen

For better or worse, the Minnesota election season is back. Although the next statewide general election will not be held until November 2022, more than a year away, hopefuls aspiring to govern have announced their candidacy, are raising money, and are proclaiming their wisdom while pointing out the foolishness of their opponents.

On the Republican side, eight candidates have announced their intention to run for Governor. Of this gaggle, three candidates stand out. The first to announce and longest running candidate is former Senator Scott Jensen. You may have seen his numerous emails asking for money and demonizing Governor Walz. Senator Jensen resigned from the Senate in 2020. Last week, both former Senate Majority Leader Senator Paul Gazelka and former Deputy Majority Leader Senator Michelle Benson announced their respective candidacies. Both stepped down from leadership positions to run for governor but remain in the Senate, and Senator Benson continues as Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services committee. All three candidates are conservatives with roots in rural Minnesota.

For the Democrats, the presumptive candidate is Governor Tim Walz who will likely be seeking a second term. Like the Republican candidates, Governor Walz has a rural background. He is a veteran and former schoolteacher. Walz served as the Congressman from Minnesota’s 1st District until 2016. Governor Walz is generally seen as a moderate Democrat. There is some speculation that Attorney General Keith Ellison, a former Congressman from Minneapolis may run. Attorney General Ellison is a Progressive.

And who do I think should win? I believe as a snowmobiler, the candidate who most strongly supports snowmobiling and MnUSA deserves our support. There is much investigation to be done before we can conclude who will be best for our support. Yet, we do know that Senator Gazelka is a strong supporter who faithfully attends our legislative reception and supports our legislation. We also know that Governor Walz has never accepted our invitation to participate in our MnUSA VIP snowmobile ride (we used to call it the Governor’s ride). As the months unfold, we can learn the positions of the other contenders on issues of concern to snowmobilers.

While November 2022 is a long way away, we need to acknowledge that it is an incredibly important election. All constitutional offices and both the state House and Senate will be up for election. In the coming months, I will comment on the campaigns and highlight the candidate’s position on snowmobile issues. Undoubtedly, some readers may support my commentary, and some may disagree. Perhaps a few readers will be annoyed. So, it must be said that my musings are strictly my own. I don’t speak for the Board of Directors, Committees, or staff of MnUSA.

Like everyone, I have bias that may creep into this column. Let me know if you agree or disagree with anything I say. Let’s have a respectful conversation and learn from one another. It will be fun—I promise.