November 15, 2008 Newsletter

In this issue:

Thank You, Minnesota

Other Races Closer to Home

Want Us to Pick Up Your Oberstar Lawn Sign?

Thank You, Minnesota

Thank you for all the work you did to elect Democrats this year.

Congressman Oberstar won re-election to his 18th term by wide margins. Final results show Oberstar capturing 68% of the vote to 32% for his opponent. Like all his previous elections, Oberstar won a majority of the votes in each county in the 8th Congressional district.

In other races throughout the country, voters voiced their desire for change with Democrats gaining at least 20 seats in the U.S. House and at least 6 seats in the U.S. Senate as of Saturday, November 15th.

On election night, Oberstar devoted most of his speech to the resounding election of Barack Obama to the Presidency. Oberstar called Obama a “transformational candidate in a transformational era.”

“What we have with Barack Obama is a new social movement a new structure of political organization a ‘we the people’ organization that starts with the grass-roots of America and built its way all the way up to the top,” Oberstar said.

“It’s an ownership political organization in which every neighborhood in America felt that they owned that campaign. The owned the campaign that produced an energy and enthusiasm and a sense of excitement that we haven’t seen since John F. Kennedy in 1960.”

Congressman Oberstar will resume his post as Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 111th Congress. With stronger majorities in both Houses of Congress and a Democratic President, more of Oberstar’s bills are likely to reach the President’s desk and be signed.

Oberstar has an aggressive agenda laid out for his Transportation Committee in the next Congress, including an economic recovery package and plans for high-speed rail from the Twin Cities to Duluth. He will also preside over the reauthorization of the surface transportation bill, a responsibility that will allow Oberstar unmatched influence over the Federal government’s transportation investment over the next six years.

Thanks again to everyone who knocked doors, made phone calls, or helped in other ways to get our message out and help get Democrats elected.

Other Races Closer to Home

Minnesota Democrats again added seats this year to the State Legislature, two in the House and one in the Senate.

In the 8th Congressional District, all incumbent DFLers were reelected, with a recount pending in Al Doty’s bid for reelection. Minnesota law requires an automatic recount if the official results show a candidate leading with 0.5% or less. Al Doty currently leads his challenger by 76 votes or 0.4%.

Democrats easily won open House seats in district 7B with Roger Reinert filling the seat of retiring Rep. Mike Jaros and district 4A with John Persell succeeding retiring Rep. Frank Moe.

Due to the vacancy of Betsy Wergin, there was a special Senate election in district 16 in which DFLer Lisa Fobbe won by 85 votes and will be headed to the Minnesota Senate pending a recount.

Gail Kulick Jackson’s race to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. Sondra Erickson also appears to have been successful, though a recount is expected in this race as well. Unofficial results show Gail Kulick Jackson leading Sondra Erickson by 89 votes or 0.4%.

While House Democrats may have come up short in producing a veto-proof majority, it is clear that a majority of Minnesotans want leaders in St. Paul who believe in the importance of investments in education, healthcare, our environment, and transportation. Minnesotans want leaders who will stand up to Gov. Pawlenty, who made history this year by issuing more vetoes than any other Minnesota governor.

Want Us to Pick Up Your Oberstar Lawn Sign?

If you put an Oberstar lawn sign out this year and would like us to pick it up, please call our office at (218) 723-8813 this week and ask for Chris, or email Chris