Our Democratic Candidates

We have two very fine candidates running for the legislature this year.  They were endorsed at the SD41 Democrats convention on March 15.  No other candidates filed for the DFL Party nomination in their districts, so they automatically became the official nominees as well.

Paul Rosenthal (left) and Kevin Staunton (right) pose for the camera following their endorsements.  (Special thanks to Addie Mattson for providing this photo.)

House District 41A:  Kevin Staunton

Kevin Staunton is running in House District 41A.  This is Kevin’s first campaign.  He is outstanding as a person and as a candidate, and we are proud to have him in the race.

This race is really heating up, and hundreds of Kevin's unique blue-and-green lawn signs are on display all over the district.  He has been taking his campaign directly to the people through intensive door knocking.

Kevin Staunton is a progressive Democrat.  You can read about him at his website: www.stauntonforhouse.org.

Kevin's Republican Opponents 

As far as we know, the race in House District 41A is unique in Minnesota this year, because Kevin faces two Republican opponents, both of them quite conservative.  You can read about the Republican candidates, Keith Downey and Ron Erhardt, here.

House District 41B:  Paul Rosenthal

Paul Rosenthal is running in House District 41B.  He ran two years ago and almost won.  He too is outstanding as a person and as a candidate, and we are proud to have him in the race.

Paul loves talking to people one-on-one, and he has been door knocking full-blast.  His red-white-and-blue lawn signs are all over the district.

Paul Rosenthal is a progressive Democrat.  You can read about him at his website: www.voterosenthal.org.

Paul's Republican Opponent 

This race took a dramatic turn on September 9, when Jan Schneider, the endorsed Republican candidate, defeated incumbent Republican Neil Peterson in the Republican primary, 2271 to 1714.  The state Republican Party appears to have spent a good deal of money on mailings to assure Schneider's victory, but MN Post recently reported that the Taxpayer's League has claimed credit also.  (See the article here.)  Schneider is now the Republican nominee; Peterson will not appear on the ballot in November. 

For our part, we certainly took issue with Representative Peterson's conservative voting record, but we always regarded him as an honorable opponent and a gentleman.  His loss is a blow to the Minnesota Republican Party, which is increasingly dominated by ideological zealots.  But it's also a loss to our community.  We thank Neil Peterson for his four years of service in the Minnesota House, and we wish him well.

Jan Schneider is an extreme, right-wing Republican.  You can read about her positions on the issues here.