MN Senate District 47

I’ve lived at this address for 24 years, so the name and boundaries of my state legislative district have changed several  times.  The district in 2000 changed in 2002, again in 2012, again in 2022.  We’re suburban so the general boundaries include most of our city, now 83,000.  Total eligible voters this year in the Senate District was over 59,000, 28,098 on my side; the rest on the other.

All House members are up for election every two years, as are all Federal Congresspersons.

In my district, incumbent Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL) got 60.62% of the vote, almost exactly half of the eligible votes.  In the adjoining district incumbent Ethan Cha (DFL) also was reelected with 54% of the vote, 46% of the eligible voters.  Amanda impressed me a great deal – a hard-working young legislator.  I had less reason to interact with Ethan, but he was impressive as well.  He took his job seriously.  Representing groups of people is very hard and unappreciated work.  Sen. Nicole Mitchell was not up for election in 2024.)

Our incumbent 4th District Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL) was reelected with 67% of the vote; Incumbent U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL) was reelected with 56% of the statewide vote.   Kamala Harris won the Minnesota Presidential vote 51-47%.

(All the numbers cited are from the MNVotes website.).

There will be endless slicing and dicing of the votes and what this all means.  Long and short, two years from now there will another such election.  You have two years to prepare.  Best to begin preparing now.

My local elections went as I wished, and I congratulate both Amanda and Ethan for their successful campaigns.  They represented us very well.

Some random observations from an old guy who reached voting age (21) 63 years ago.  These are observations, not criticisms, for consideration.  They are not in any order, and simply food for thought and discussion.

1.  Were I not politically active, odds are I wouldn’t have known who was running for local office.  We received only one political mailing in our mailbox this year and that was so unusually produced I almost didn’t even look at it.  Again, this is just an observation.
2. I did watch the League of Women Voters sessions.  They were useful to get a sense of who the candidates were, but much too short to get any substantive notions of where candidates stood on issues, and why.
3. I saw few lawn signs for candidates.  I’m mostly interested in whether there are some out…it’s a small signal of individual interest.
4. I appreciated the couple of informal fundraisers held by the local party.  It was a good chance to get a feel of the local DFL.
5. There was not a single door knock this year from anybody; no fliers left at the door.  Again, just an observation.  No phone calls that I was aware of, but typically we don’t answer phone numbers we don’t recognize, (but we  do listen to messages if left, brief and clear).
6. Until recent years, there was a local community newspaper that invited and received letters to the editor with varying viewpoints.  It was a valuable communications resource, gone now, probably never to return but missed.  Perhaps the new on-line newspaper for Woodbury will devise some method for community conversation through such letters.
7. There ought to be some strategy to make a bit more informal contact with we elder DFL members.  We are loyal, but we need some specific attention since many folks are perhaps like me, and aren’t much into things like Facebook, or Tim Tok, etc.  There truly are more ways to communicate less these days.  I make this strictly as an observation.
8. I don’t use social media any more.   Social media is a favorite for misinformation  and disinformation.  It is useful in networks among people who know each other personally.  I think often of the old ‘telephone tree’ system that we used to use: I call ten…..  It is ancient history, but variations would still work.
9. There is a desperate need for more Civic Education.  The default seems to be to blame education, but I beg to differ.  Education is a public function (and this includes private and home schools).   Schools are constrained by laws and policies, and too many kids are very ignorant about even the most basic facts about government, and I think some of this is intentional.  Many adults are almost illiterate about the bare basics, such as who their representatives even are.
10. I mentally tune out of any media advertising.  Maybe it is just me, but advertising of most any sort is a complete turnoff.  If you live in a communty, you know reputation
11. I liked a lot the Coffee and Conversation gatherings and attended when I could.  These were casual, open to whoever came, usually a dozen or less, usually open agenda, in an open space, an hour or so.  Several times legislators dropped by, and not only from our district.  The sessions were very good means to connect with other real human beings.  Note: Zoom has been the rage since Covid.  It has serious limitations.  Personal contact is important, at least occasionally.
12. I am very much aware that my time for activism is past; on the other hand, I’m not dead yet!  The DFL needs to implement strategies for at least keeping connected with people like myself.  This doesn’t have to be – indeed, it shouldn’t be – intense or highly organized, but it should exist.
13. I think I’m a relatively large financial contributor to campaigns, but there is a cost to this…swarms of solicitations came, all emergency, of course.  I understand there is a need.  Etc.  Etc.  But there must be some way to moderate this.
14. It’s important to get to know legislators.  On the other hand it is impossible for any legislator to get to know everyone personally; nor is it possible to succeed as a legislator if unable to work with persons with other ideas.
15. I have no problems with some unseen “party” strategizing – a necessary but impossible task these days of many special interest groups with specific agendas.
16. In the end analysis, the voters individually and collective wear the halos or the dunce camp – this includes the masses who don’t vote at all or have no excuses.  In the end, we get exactly what we deserve.

I offer these ideas for your consideration.

COMMENTS:  My intention with this post is to encourage thinking and dialogue.  

from Norman:  Thanks, Dick.