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.