Better Know A Challenger (or two): 41A Edina

The DFL endorsed candidate Kevin Staunton finds himself in a great position to win this traditionally GOP seat from 9-term incumbent Ron Erhardt. The district is trending blue, with a narrow victory for Kerry and a solid victory for Klobuchar. The US Congressional candidate, Aswin Madia is energizing Democrats.

As if that weren’t enough, Erhardt is not the endorsed Republican in the race. After voting to keep bridges standing and against the governor’s veto, this
Ramstad-style legislator was left out at the endorsing convention. In his place, the local GOP picked Keith Downey, someone more likely to make the “right decision” when it comes to choosing between the governor’s VP poll position and constituent needs.

It isn’t yet clear whether Staunton will face two Republicans in November or whether one of them will be defeated in the September primary. What is clear is that things look awfully good for Staunton. If Erhardt does run in the primary, he’ll spend much of his time running against Downey’s social conservatism, which won’t help GOP general election turnout. If he runs as an independent, he’s likely to split the GOP vote down the middle, handing an easy victory to Staunton.

Staunton is a good match for this district. Like most of the suburban Democrats we’re profiling, he emphasizes fiscal responsibility over
unrestrained spending, sees healthcare, education and transportation spending as investments without which our state’s long-term prosperity would be threatened, and steers clear of divisive social issues as much as possible. This is a stark contrast to his two conservative opponents, who will differentiate between themselves in terms of wedge issues and whether they provide unwavering support of “no new taxes”.

Edina is a high property tax city because its residents have a history of strongly supporting public schools there. As a result, Edina is frequently
ranked among the best public school districts in the nation. However, after 7 years of “no new taxes” and shifting the cost of government services from the state’s general fund to property tax revenues, even affluent Edina is feeling the pinch. Staunton highlights tax reform and a fair distribution
of the tax burden as one of four key issues, along with healthcare, education, and livable & sustainable communities.

As a 1997 EHS graduate (Go Hornets!), I’ve personally voted for Erhardt in the past. Until recently, the DFL had largely written off the district, and
run weak candidates or none at all. But a quick look at recent election returns shows SD41 is back in play, and a quick look at Staunton’s website shows that the DFL is running strong candidates. The GOP is self-destructing, with party leaders and activists branding all the candidates who have done well in this city as ‘RINOs’.

CD-3 is by far the best chance the DFL has to pick up a US House seat, but Ashwin is going to need a big win in Edina, where his opponent’s social
conservatism won’t play well with voters. Your support for Kevin Staunton in 41A is very important.