Fifth District: DFLers pick Ellison to replace Sabo

"Campaign Races"

05/07/2006

Rochelle Olson,
Star Tribune
Last update: May 06, 2006 – 8:42 PM

State Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis nabbed the DFL endorsement to succeed Rep. Martin Sabo in surprisingly smooth and swift fashion Saturday after some early convention fireworks.

Although a September primary is certain, the backing of the party in the deeply Democratic Minneapolis-centered district puts Ellison in a strong position to become the first black member of Congress from Minnesota. “With the DFL working to help our campaign, we are going to be extremely hard to beat,” he said after his victory.

The convention gave Ellison the endorsement by acclamation after the third ballot. He led from the beginning of the gathering at St. Louis Park High School, and on the third ballot received support from 51 percent of the delegates. Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman received 30 percent.

And college professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer 18 percent.

Even though 60 percent was needed for endorsement, Dorfman and Nelson-Pallmeyer, the only other candidates still running, then got behind Ellison.

“We’ve got to unify. We’ve got to come together from the suburb and the city, straight and gay, black and white,” Ellison said in his acceptance speech.

An exuberant, almost tearful Ellison stood on the stage with his wife, Kim, a high school math teacher, and three of their four children.

The day started with a stunner before the first ballot was cast.

Former state Party Chair Mike Erlandson withdrew after giving his allotted eight-minute address to the 219 delegates. “See you in September,” he said, an apparent reference to the primary election, later attributing what he called a spur-of-the-moment decision to disrespectful heckling and hissing from the crowd.

Some audience members were goading him to say whether he planned to abide by the endorsement.

Erlandson, who was endorsed by Sabo on Thursday, said he will take a couple of days to decide whether to go to the primary.

Regardless of Erlandson’s decision, Ellison faces at least three primary candidates who didn’t seek party endorsement: former state Sen. Ember Reichgott Junge, Minneapolis Park Board President Jon Olson and Minneapolis City Council Member Paul Ostrow. Other candidates also could enter the race, but the district is deep DFL territory—a Republican last won in the Fifth in 1960—and Saturday belonged to Ellison. Supporters wore T-shirts declaring Ellison a “proven, progressive leader.”

The representative said he will ask for the support of Sabo. Sabo, who will have held the seat for 28 years when he retires, said of Erlandson, his employee of 19 years: “He’d still make a very good congressman.”

Campaigning on ideas

Ellison, who from the outset declared he would not be running as the “black man” in the race, said he’s proud of his heritage but that he believes people were drawn to him because of ideas. “I have the passion of Wellstone and the practicality of Sabo,” he told delegates.

He said he once thought politicians “only saw the light when they felt the heat.” But Ellison, a Detroit native, said he took to heart the words of his father: “Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.”

He laid out a broad platform: making peace the guiding principle of the nation, health care for all, renewable energy, the right for labor to organize, legalized abortions, immigrant rights and education as the hallmark of the country.

Ellison would be a groundbreaking congressman in another way. He is a Muslim. “It’s good for people to see a reasonable, moderate face of Islam,” he said.

Many politicians from the North Side of Minneapolis were on hand supporting Ellison, including City Council Member Don Samuels and Sen. Linda Higgins. He has the backing of House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, a former classmate from law school at the University of Minnesota. “He’s going to take us by storm. He is one of the best public speakers in the state,” Entenza said.

Entenza said he and others will be calling Erlandson in the next couple of days and encouraging him to stay out of the race. “[Ellison’s] support here today is indicative of what it will be with the public,” Entenza said.

In the convention’s early going, candidates Anne Knapp and Erik Thompson gave speeches, but withdrew before the first ballot.

GOP endorses Fine

Fifth District Republicans also held their convention Saturday and quickly endorsed Alan Fine, 44, a management consultant and lecturer at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Four candidates had expressed interest in running, but three dropped out before the convention.

Fine has said he plans to bring his management skills to such policy questions as shoring up Social Security. He said his lifelong residence in the district and work with businesses have given him a good understanding of the issues.

The Independence Party will hold its Fifth District endorsing convention Tuesday.