Martin Ludden, war vet and Comcast exec, "considering" 64B race

Iraq vet, Nativity alum and former Klobuchar staffer Martin Ludden says he's now "definitely considering" a run for the 64B seat in the Legislature being vacated by Michael Paymar.

"I grew up in 64B, just down the street from Widmers," Ludden said in an interview today. He also went to St. Thomas and got a degree in photography and American studies from the U of M.

He'a an Army vet. He joined the Reserves in the spring of 2001, and stayed in the reserves for almost 10 years, including two stints in Iraq, in 2003-2004 and again as a squad leader in 2009-2010.

After college, he joined the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and worked as a veterans service representative, processing claims by vets for the agency. He worked out at Fort Snelling, where U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar had her office, and eventually joined her staff as an outreach director with a focus on veterans and public safety.

He did a brief stint after that as the executive director of the Disabled American Veterans Foundation, and then joined Comcast, where he's a government affairs manager focusing on their Internet Essentials program.

"It's getting low income families hooked up to the internet with a very low price product," he says. "It's helping kind of bridge the digital divide, which I would argue is a significant part of the achievement gap. Or can be."

(Vice president for Ludden's Comcast division, for those of you keeping track at home, is Emmett Coleman, brother of St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman.)

Ludden says he moved back into the district in 2010 and thinks he's be a good fit representing the area at the Capitol.

"I think I've got kind of a unique skill set," Ludden says. "I have cross-sector experience, public, private, military, non-profit, and that comes with having to work with people of a pretty broad background in order to get stuff done. And I think that's a skill set that would translate pretty well to the Capitol."

Ludden says he plans to seek the DFL endorsement. 

UPDATE: He says he hopes to make a decision in the next week or so.

Greens eyeing 64B race, but no contender yet

"Its not our strongest neighborhood in the city," concedes St. Paul Green Party spokesman Jesse Mortenson. But he says there may be some issues to get some traction on in House District 64B for his party.

Greens had a good showing with Jim Ivey in the Ward 2 contest back in 2011, and Mortenson himself had a decent showing in the 64A race when Matt Entenza left the legislature and Erin Murphy battled out the DFL endorsement at the convention that spring.

Greens have some pull in Merriam Park and back in 2003 Elizabeth Dickinson came within 123 votes of cutting short DFLer Dave Thune's attempted comeback in Ward 2.

"We're having some conversations with people, but we don't have a candidate right now," Mortenson said of the open 64B race. He's not naming names. But with what is practically a once-in-a-generation opening in the city's delegation, it's a tempting opportunity.

Mortenson says he thinks there is a rising interest in environmental issues in the district, particularly with the potential redevelopment of the Ford Plant site: "That's a big change there, and it remains to be seen how green that redevelopment could be, or whether they'll just settle for another shopping mall. It's easy to give lip service to a space like that."

There IS some transit coming to the area for development to, as they say, orient to: MetroTransit is planning bus rapid transit along Snelling Avenue and Ford Parkway, scheduled to open in 2015.

But even if that's a sign that the Highland Park neighborhood may be recasting some of its post-war, semi-suburban origins, particularly around the old Ford Plant, a Green party run for the Legislature is something else altogether.

Mortenson says the St. Paul Greens are of different minds about whether to take on the DFL establishment. 

"My own take is that its really, really hard to win partisan races as a third party," Mortenson says. "You look at it and say 'That's a long shot. But I also think the question is, what are the issues that we can talk about in the neighborhood, when we're out going door to door?"

Those include the minimum wage and health care. Here's what he had to say in an email about the issues:

"The DFL's failure to pass a minimum wage increase last session is a big disappointment. Something is wrong when the DFL can get its officials at every level of MN politics together to pass a huge Vikings subsidy, but can't get two houses together to advance the minimum wage. If you believe in a fair shot for working people, and you look at how much harder this last recession was (and continues to be) on them, then I think it's easy to see that the DFL really whiffed in a way that puts families further behind.

 
The last Metro Stats report was revealing on that front: if you have a degree, if you were already making middle- or upper-income: then you're seeing a recovery. If you work a retail or service job, then not only did you face more unemployment and a greater percentage drop in income, but those factors haven't gotten much better. What is this next legislator going to do to change the dynamics at the capitol for working families?

And given all the problems with the ACA insurance exchanges, the fact that Vermont is going forward with a single-payer plan seems to be under the radar. Minnesota still has an opportunity to be a leader out of the tangle of paperwork, rising costs and confusing requirements. I talked about it in 2006 and it's still relevant: is our St. Paul delegation pushing forward with innovation or content to do the best job we can with a deeply flawed health care reform?"

So, keep an eye out. Mortenson says if they get some interest from a strong candidate, they'll engage the endorsement process and decide whether to get into the race.

Beth Fraser "very very seriously considering" 64B run

Beth Fraser could very well be Deputy Secretary of State for the next 13 months. But even if she can’t keep her job after 2014, she’d like to keep her address. Fraser, in an interview today, confirmed that she’s thinking of running for the 64B seat, possibly moving into the House DFL caucus digs upstairs from her State Office Building office. "I’m very, very seriously considering running,” Fraser said. “I’ve been doing legislative and public policy work for 15 years and building a track record for getting things done and pushing progressive policy change at the state level.” Fraser has lived in St. Paul for most of the last decade, and for about a year and a half in 64B. She originally came to Minnesota after college, to work for the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, a year long service program that had her working in Minneapolis’ Jordan neighborhood. After that, she moved out to work on poverty issues in the suburbs and got a taste of public policy -- she says she helped pass a law that made it easier for home owners to sell their homes in mobile home parks. She says poverty and social justice issues remain a passion. She went on to work for the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action, a precursor, along with Progressive Minnesota, to TakeAction Minnesota. Fraser worked first as a policy organizer, then as the group’s public policy director. Fraser went to work for Secretary of State Mark Ritchie in 2007 and took the No. 2 position in the office in July. She’s worked on issues like absentee voting for out of state military personnel and voter registration reforms. She was also led the Secretary of State's office's public and legislative outreach effort on the 2012 Voter ID amendment. “I work very closely with legislators, drafting bills and doing a lot of testifying,” Fraser says. She says she will seek the DFL endorsement, and is working the phones this week to gauge interest in supporting her run.

Matthew Bergeron is also thinking about 64B race

Next up: Matthew Bergeron, a veteran of Paul Thissen's 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Lockridge alum and committee administrator for the Health and Human Service Policy Committee in the House.

Bergeron confirmed tonight that he's thinking about a bid for the DFL endorsement for the 64B seat being vacated by Michael Paymar next year. Bergeron is an attorney who also staffs Rep. Ryan Winkler's Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs.

"I've gotten a lot of encouragement and support," he says of the race, although he's not ready to commit yet. "I think I've got a background and skill set that will allow me to be really effective at the Capitol."

Bergeron also says he's got family ties to the district. His dad was a United Food and Commercial Workers member and steward at the Highland Park Lunds. His dad's a Tommie. Mom was a Katie.

Bergeron is actually a Mounds View native, and graduated from Irondale. But he went to Macalester, and like so many other alums, didn't make it far off campus after graduation. He also went to William Mitchell, where he got his law degree in 2011.

Along the way, he took some time off from law school to work on Thissen's 2010 campaign as a field organizer for the 4th, 6th and 8th Congressional Districts. He went to work for Lockridge Grindal Nauen as a legislative assistant for the 2011 session.

After Lockridge, he started his own lobbying firm, the Bergeron Strategies Group after that. Bergeron says he repped the Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators, an affiliate of the Association of Minnesota Counties.

You can see his LinkedIn profile here.

And when Thissen and the DFL hit the jackpot in 2012 and took the House back, Bergeron signed on as caucus staff, where he works today for committee chair Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester. (Bergeron is also a college friend of Crosby 10B DFLer Rep. Joe Radinovich.) He hopes his background as a lobbyist, legislative staffer and long time campaigner will give him a leg up in an endorsement bid.

The rise of TakeAction in Minnesota politics

Betsy Hodges is a veteran of Progressive Minnesota, a forerunner of TakeAction Minnesota. She won the 2013 Minneapolis mayor's race. (Flickr photo: Grassroots Solutions, 2010)

TakeAction Minnesota communications director Greta Bergstrom says she's deciding this week if she wants to run in the 64B race that's opened up with the decision of DFLer Michael Paymar not to run.

MPR's Mark Zdechlik takes a look at the group and its growing influence in conventional electoral politics in a story that ran on today's All Things Considered.

Of note is the nod from former St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman, who lost one of his early campaigns -- a 1999 referendum on a sales tax for a Twins stadium in St. Paul -- to some of the same people who went on to help run Progressive Minnesota and TakeAction.

Note also that Zdechlik's story has comment from University of Minnesota political scientist and 64B resident Larry Jacobs.

UPDATED: "Game on" says Gloria Zaiger for 64B seat

Gloria Zaiger says she's in.

Zaiger is an IT specialist for US Bank, where she's been for the last 24 years. She's a long time St. Paulite, and long time Como Park area resident. She was also campaign manager for DFL state Rep. Alice Hausman in the 2006 and 2008 cycles. 

Zaiger is making a very enthusiastic commitment on her Facebook page. Here's her announcement:

"I am very excited to make my Big Announcement! I want to let everyone know, I have announced my candidacy for the MN State House of Representatives! I am running for Rep Paymar's open seat in district 64B. I am excited to have this opportunity to serve my district and my state. I long admired Rep Paymar's willingness to take on tough issues, like better background checks on gun purchases and animal cruelty issues. I want to continue his work on those issues and more. I have long been passionate about the environment, especially open space preservation and climate change. Being married to a public school teacher, I am intimately aware of the struggles happening in our schools, and believe we need to do more to highlight the daily battles our educators face to educate our kids. But, I feel we aren't accomplishing all we could for our state because of the anger and bitterness between the parties. I want to emulate our great Senator Amy Klobuchar, who worked with Republican women in the Senate to end the federal shutdown. I know it will take a lot to change the tone in politics, but it has to start somewhere. I want to reach out, listen, and find common ground, and disagree with respect. That's who I am, that why I'm running. I look forward to speaking with you more about the issues and the campaign. Woohoo- game on, folks!"

She moved to 64B in 2009 and has been a caucus organizer for the last two cycles. Zaiger has served in the past as an envelope stuffer, door knocker, affirmative action chair and picnic organizer. 

"I've worn a lot of hats in the DFL," she said in an interview tonight, although she says, most of her work has been has been in District 66.

Zaiger says she's long wanted to see politics as a candidate, and wants primarily to work on environmental issues if she wins.

"I will seek the DFL endorsement," she says. "And I will abide by it."

You can see her campaign Facebook page here.

Former legislator Brian Bergson mulling 64B race

Former DFL legislator Brian Bergson says he's thinking about getting into the 64B race as well. He says people have talked to him about it, but he's hasn't made any decisions.

Bergson works now as an Assistant to the Commissioner in Minnesota’s Department of Labor and Industry.

Bergson's resume includes being a principal at SquareOne Consulting, LLC., and a stint at Goff Public, the Lowertown public affairs/public relations shop.

Before that, he was communications and legislative affairs director for Minnesota attorney general Lori Swanson, handling both press and lobbying duties. He also worked for eight years as a lobbyist for the Minnesota Association of Professional employees. 

In the mid 90s, he was a co-owner of Capitol Targeting, "a political polling, fundraising and consulting business.”

Bergson is also a veteran of the US Military.  He served in the US Army for 21 years, and most recently the USAF.  In 2011 he deployed to Afghanistan.


Before that, he served District 48A in 1993-1994, representing Osseo, Brooklyn Park and Champlin.

Turf battle: Here's the boundaries for the 64B race

In case you were wondering, here's the district map for the 64B race for 2014. I'll have a live Google Map of candidates residences once we get a few more in the queue.

64B District Map

Upon further review, Ted Davis says he won't run

Davis Communications principal Ted Davis said last night that he's decided against running for the eventually- to-be-vacant-64B seat in the Minnesota Legislature. He says "things are changing," and for now he'll be a spectator for the bid for the DFL endorsement and, eventually, the seat. Davis says he's not backing anybody "at this time."

Greta Bergstrom mulling another run at 64B race

She was in contention back in 1996, when Howard Orenstein left the legislature and opened up the seat last time. And now Greta Bergstrom says she's thinking about giving it another shot.

TakeAction Minnesota's communications director said in an interview tonight that she's leaning towards a run for the seat.

"I haven't actually made a decision yet, but I am thinking about it," Bergstrom said. "I am seriously considering it."

She sought the DFL endorsement back in 1996, and was among the top contenders in the endorsement battle that Michael Paymar won. She finished just behind Pat Harris, who went on to win the Ward 3 council seat in 1999.

Bergstrom has been the communications director for the liberal political action group since January 2009, and before that worked for North Woods Advertising -- the Bill Hillsman shop known for its work on behalf of Paul Wellstone's 1990 campaign and Jesse Ventura's 1998 gubernatorial bid. (Ward 5 City Council member Amy Brendmoen is another North Woods alum.)

The most interesting part of a Bergstrom bid may well be her current employer. TakeAction's political arm has a full-on vetting process to look over a field of candidates, and it isn't even a sure thing that 64B is a race TakeAction would be involved in. So there's no guarantee that Bergstrom would have TakeAction's backing. 

But we saw in Rena Moran's 2010 election that TakeAction and its alumnae can be a formidable force. Moran beat Jeremiah Ellis and the DFL endorsement that year. And, of course, a Progressive Minnesota alumna, Betsy Hodges, will be taking the corner office in Minneapolis city hall on Jan. 2.

Bergstrom says she still has some people to talk to about a run, and hopes to make a decision by the end of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Matt Freeman makes it official and announces for 64B

Just weeks after helming mayor Chris Coleman's re-election campaign, Matt Freeman is hitting the trail again. He's officially announced he's in the 64B race and looking for the DFL endorsement.

Freeman has a long political pedigree, the grandson of a one-time governor and U.S. Agriculture secretary, and the son of former legislator and two-time gubernatorial contender Mike Freeman. Oh, yeah, and two-time Hennepin County Attorney, too.

Matt, though, has built up his own resume, including field and political director for Amy Klobuchar's 2012 re-election bid. He handled field staff, as well as endorsements by unions and other "electeds." He's still working part time in the office of St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman, as well.

And although he's still got that dreaded "612" prefix on his cell phone (see the announcement below), he's got some chops in the district. He ran Ward 3 council member Chris Tolbert's hard-fought campaign in 2011, including the contentious DFL endorsement process.

Tolbert is one of his campaign co-chairs this time, as is former Minnesota Nurses Association President Linda Slattengren. That organization played a key role the last time one of the neighborhood's legislative seats was open in 2006 -- and former MNA executive director Erin Murphy (64A) is now the House majority leader.

Freeman 64B Announcement Release by Tim Nelson

City Council member Chris Tolbert won't run in 64B race

First term St. Paul City Council member Chris Tolbert says he won't be throwing his hat in the ring for the 64B race.

"I like what I'm doing on the council," said Tolbert in an interview. He's two years into his first term on the council, facing a re-election in 2015.

He's also signed on as co-chair for the campaign of Matt Freeman, who ran his contentious bid for the DFL endorsement in Ward 3 in 2011 against John Mannillo.

"There's a lot to do here," Tobert said. "I want to work on transportation, and the redevelopment of the Ford Plant."

He's also, ahem, an assistant Hennepin County attorney, and well, with the boss's son weighing a run in the district, that might make an endorsement battle a little, well, awkward. Not to mention that Freeman's significant other, Nicole Wittig-Geske, is Tolbert's legislative aide.

More candidates surveying the prospects for 64B race

The aspirants for the Highland Park/Mac-Groveland seat in the Legislature are starting to line up.

New tonight: Ted Davis is seriously considering a run, St. Paul city attorney Sarah Grewing is mulling the idea as is Matt Freeman, grandson of former DFL governor Orville Freeman.

Davis runs Highland Park-based Davis Communications, and is a former St. Paul Chamber of Commerce communications director. Also an interim president of the Midway Chamber of Commerce. Davis is also a co-founder of Serving Our Troops, the St. Paul-based military support organization started with then City Council member Pat Harris, who vied for the DFL endorsement with Michael Paymar back when Howard Orenstein retired and the seat was last left open back in 1996. Davis has also did work for the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority. Davis is also married to Andrea Casselton, who until recently was a long-time member of mayor Chris Coleman's cabinet. She was the Director of Technology and Communications through September of 2013.

Grewing is a former Chief of Staff for mayor Chris Coleman and state director for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar -- running Klobuchar's official Minnesota office. Grewing was also an assistant county attorney back when Klobuchar was the Hennepin County Attorney. She's been an attorney in private practice, and is a U of M grad and went to law school at William Mitchell. She's also been a lobbyist and legal counsel to the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, so she knows the Capitol.

And finally, Matt Freeman is said to be thinking of getting into the race. He's got a long political pedigree, as the son of Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and the grandson of Minnesota Governor Orville Freeman. Most recently, he was campaign manager for Chris Coleman's second re-election bid. His LinkedIn resume also has some high-profile high points: he was the political and field director for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar's campaign in 2012, and for Carly Melin's campaign for the House up in 5B, in the race to replace DFLer Tony Sertich when he was appointed in 2011 by Gov. Mark Dayton to the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.  (Melin's district is now 6A, after the most recent redistricting.) Most telling though, for a 64B race: Freeman was political director for Chris Tolbert's contentious and successful bid for the Ward 3 seat in 2011, covering much the same territory as the 64B contest.

McMahon steps into 64B race, maybe into boss's shoes

The first candidate into the race to replace Michael Paymar has tossed her hat in the ring. It's Melanie McMahon.

She's a familiar name to the district. McMahon was his campaign manager for his most recent re-election campaign -- the Facebook page for the effort has the doorknocking starting at her Sheffer Avenue home.

McMahon has also been the administrator for two and a half years for the Public Safety Finance Committee that Paymar chairs.

McMahon says she's got deep roots in the area. "My dad grew up in the district," she says, and running Paymar's campaign seems to have been successful: Paymar won with 72.11 percent of the vote, against 27.6 percent for Republican Brandon Carmack. You can see the Secretary of State's results here.

Here's the release from McMahon declaring her candidacy (and her "612" area code):

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

November 20, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melanie McMahon,

612-387-3991,

mcmahonsd64@gmail.com

McMahon Announces Candidacy for Minnesota House District 64B

November 20, 2013 -- Melanie McMahon announced that she is running to serve as the State Representative for District 64B and plans to seek the DFL endorsement.  “I’m grateful for the leadership that Representative Paymar has provided for the district.  Having had the opportunity to work closely with him as a Committee Administrator to the Public Safety Finance Division of the House of Representatives and as his campaign manager, I know that he has served the district well and I wish him well on his new endeavor with Education for Critical Thinking”, said McMahon.

A Highland Park resident, McMahon currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Long Range Capitol Improvement Budget (CIB) Committee of St. Paul, as well as serves as the Grid #5 Representative on the Highland District Council.

McMahon has worked and volunteered in politics for her entire life and plans on seeking the DFL endorsement.  “As a lifelong progressive I believe strongly in the values of the DFL”, said McMahon.  “Having worked at the capitol and volunteering in the community I can be a strong advocate for those values.”

“When my grandmother, as a single mother with two young children was looking for a good neighborhood with access to transit, jobs and good schools she chose St. Paul and Highland Park. When my husband Scott and I were looking for a community with the same values that we could make home Highland Park is where we decided to live, too.” McMahon proclaimed. 

“We have chosen to stay in Highland Park to raise our two children because of the amazing opportunities the city continues to provide and the quality neighborhoods we have” said McMahon. “I want to bring progressive values to the capitol and ensure that we can provide a world class education for our children, jobs and opportunities for adults and a support system for our elderly and vulnerable citizens.”

McMahon is an attorney and community volunteer. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts from the College of St. Benedict and her Juris Doctorate from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, she practiced law both in the private sector and worked for the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Please contact Melanie McMahon with any questions you may have at 612.387.3991 or mcmahonsd64@gmail.com

Paymar retires, leaves open 64B seat in Minnesota Legislature

Nine-term DFL state representative Michael Paymar said today that he won't seek another term in the Minnesota Legislature in 2014.

Paymar is chair of the Public Safety Finance Committee in the House and made headlines fighting last legislative session for stricter gun control laws in the state.


Here's a quick look at his recent record, via Minnpost's Doug Grow. Here's the post from MPR's Capitol View, via Tim Pugmire.

Paymar will continue to serve out the rest of his present term, which will finish out in early January, 2015. Here's the Paymar's official retirement announcement, via Minnesota House New Media Coordinator Ted Modrich:

Rep. Michael Paymar

NEWS RELEASE

Minnesota House of Representatives

District 64B 651-296-4199 – rep.michael.paymar@house.mn

563 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Ted Modrich (651) 296-5809

November 20, 2013

Rep. Paymar Not Seeking Re-Election

St. Paul, Minnesota — State Representative Michael Paymar of St. Paul announced that he will not be seeking re-election to the Minnesota House of Representatives. Paymar is the chair of the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee and will be completing his 9^th term in the Legislature.

“It has been an incredible honor to serve and represent the Highland Park and Macalester-Groveland neighborhoods of St. Paul in the Minnesota House.

 “As chair of the Public Safety Committee, I’ve always believed that we needed to be smart as well as tough on fighting crime, which is why I’ve been an ardent supporter of drug courts, re-entry programs for offenders leaving prison so they can successfully reintegrate into society, drug and sex-offender treatment and youth intervention programs.”

Michael Paymar was one of the early critics of ethanol subsidies, one of only 19 members of the House to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1997, was active in getting the Freedom to Breathe Act passed, was the chief author of Governor Dayton’s Omnibus Tax Bill in 2011, secured funding for the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, passed legislation reforming the multi-jurisdictional Gang and Drug Task Forces, and was the chief author of three omnibus public safety bills.  

Paymar received accolades over his tenure for passing bills on preventing domestic and sexual assault and legislation confronting the sexual exploitation of children and sex-trafficking. He also was the chief author of the Gun Violence Prevention Act that would have expanded background checks to gun shows, the internet and private sales and given law enforcement more authority to deny a permit to purchase pistols and military assault style weapons.  This bill stalled during the legislative session.

Paymar explained that his decision to leave the legislature was due to other professional aspirations.

“A couple of years ago I started Education for Critical Thinking, a nonprofit organization seeking to reduce gender-based violence. We produced an award-winning documentary called With Impunity:Men and Gender Violence that aired on Twin Cities Public Television. I am hoping to grow our organization and expand my national and international human rights work in this area. I have a new book coming out in May and other opportunities that make balancing my time at the Legislature difficult.”   

-30-

Rep. Michael Paymar will be in his office November 20 from 10:30 – 1:30 for additional comments or an interview. His office number is 651-296-4199.