Entenza wants to be top dog

10/27/2005

BY BILL SALISBURY
Pioneer Press

Saying he intends to be the “consumer watchdog for Minnesota,” state House Minority Leader Matt Entenza on Wednesday formally announced his candidacy for attorney general.

Surrounded by about 100 family members, friends and neighbors in the front yard of his St. Paul home, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmaker said he would seek his party’s endorsement for the office being vacated by DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch, who is running for governor. Entenza is the only DFL candidate in the race so far, and party leaders said no one else has expressed interest.

The only other announced candidate for the office is state Rep. Jeff Johnson, R-Plymouth. Gov. Tim Pawlenty, most Republican legislators and a long list of GOP party leaders have endorsed him.

If elected, Entenza said, he intends to “go after the big oil companies that are ripping consumers off today (and) shut down the telemarketers that are scamming our seniors.” He said he also would work with local prosecutors to bust methamphetamine labs and get sexual predators off the street.

Johnson, an attorney specializing in employment law, said his contest with Entenza “creates a great contrast for voters” in philosophy and style. “I honestly think he is the only person in the state of Minnesota who is more partisan and political than Mike Hatch,” he said.

Entenza responded that the contrast is that, unlike Johnson, he actually has practiced consumer law as an assistant attorney general and prosecuted criminals as a Hennepin County prosecutor.

Johnson has signed a pledge to abide by a state spending limit for the race — it was $365,000 in 2002 but has not been set for 2006 — while Entenza said he has not decided whether to accept a cap on spending. Entenza and his wife, UnitedHealth Group executive Lois Quam, could independently finance an expensive campaign. Last year, the couple donated about $600,000 to DFL candidates and party organizations.

Entenza will have tradition on his side in the race. DFLers have held the attorney general’s office for the past 35 years.

Having represented a western St. Paul House district since 1994, Entenza, 44, was elected DFL caucus leader in 2002. Last year he led the Democratic campaign that picked up an additional 13 House seats, leaving Republicans with a thin 68-66 majority. Had he stayed in the House, he mostly likely would have been elected speaker if DFLers win a majority in that chamber next year.

He said he intends to continue as House DFL leader through the 2006 legislative session and then give up the position after the state DFL endorsing convention June 9-11.

“I will travel the state tirelessly, not just to get myself elected attorney general, but to make sure that we have the majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives,” he said.

His decision to step down as House DFL leader could be troublesome for his party. Often when leaders quit the Legislature, their party has lost seats in the next election.

For instance, when former House Speaker Martin Sabo gave up his seat in 1978 to run for Congress, DFLers lost 32 House seats, resulting in a 67-67 split with Republicans. Six years later, DFLers lost 12 seats and control of the House to the GOP after Speaker Harry Sieben retired. And in 2002, Senate DFLers lost four seats and were reduced to their narrowest majority in 30 years after longtime DFL Majority Leader Roger Moe gave up his seat to run for governor.

When a legislative leader steps aside, it often sparks an internal party fight for his or her post. And that distracts the candidates’ attention away from campaigning to elect other legislators.

Three House DFLers — Reps. Joe Atkins of Inver Grove Heights, Margaret Anderson Kelliher of Minneapolis and Loren Solberg of Grand Rapids — already have started quietly campaigning for the House minority leader’s job.

DFL CANDIDATE FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

Age: 44

Residence: Lives in St. Paul; grew up in Worthington, Minn.

Family: Wife, Lois Quam; three sons, Ben, 16, and twins Will and Steve, 14

Education: Bachelor’s degree from Macalester College; studied law at Oxford University; law degree from University of Minnesota.

Occupation: Attorney in private practice; previously assistant state attorney general and assistant Hennepin County attorney.

Political experience: State representative, 1994-present; House DFL minority leader, 2002-present.