Wetterling announces bid for House seat

02/03/2006

Associated Press Report

Children’s advocate Patty Wetterling, who dropped out of the U.S. Senate race last month, said Friday she will run for Congress, setting up a two-person DFL contest in the 6th Congressional District.

Wetterling said she is running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Mark Kennedy at the request of many people who showed an outpouring of support.

“I now realize the best way I can have my voice heard in Washington is to run in the 6th District,” she said at a news conference in Anoka.

After Wetterling’s announcement, state GOP Chairman Ron Carey said: “Wetterling sadly became just another politician today.”

Wetterling’s entrance sets up a primary race between her and DFL candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg, a former state transportation commissioner.

Wetterling said she will abide by the party’s endorsement.

Tinklenberg said Friday he is disappointed in Wetterling’s decision, and that he plans to stay in the race — even though he decided to run only after being assured that Wetterling would not seek election in the 6th District.

“I’m sad to say, one of the things that has changed the most has been Patty,” he said.

Tinklenberg said he would defer to Wetterling if she wins the party endorsement this spring; she made a similar commitment. That lowers the chances of a primary campaign that would stretch into September.

On Thursday, he told The Associated Press that in a conversation with Wetterling, he reminded her that when she announced she was leaving the Senate race, she stressed the need to unite the party’s efforts.

“I said, ‘That makes it hard to explain why you would get into 6th District race, when you turn the race and party into this kind of battle,”’ he said.

Earlier this week, Wetterling turned down Attorney General Mike Hatch’s offer to be his running mate if he is the DFL Party’s candidate this fall.

Tinklenberg said he backed Wetterling in her 2004 loss to Kennedy and was prepared to do so again this year. But he said he decided to run when she said she was focused on the Senate.

Federal Election Commission reports show that Tinklenberg gave Wetterling $250 for her 2004 race, and his wife, Terri, gave Wetterling $500 for her Senate race last year.

Wetterling, who had $218,000 in the bank as of Dec. 31, will be able to transfer that money to her House race. Tinklenberg finished last year with $185,000 in his campaign account.

The district is conservative on social issues, and Wetterling supports abortion rights. That should make for a marked distinction with Tinklenberg, who opposes abortion rights.

“She has a lot of assets she brings to the race — money and name recognition,” said Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College. “But she is liberal, and the 6th District is not.”

Schier said he expects Tinklenberg to argue that he’s a better fit for the district.

“It should be a lively primary race,” he said.

The Republican candidates are state Sen. Michele Bachmann, state Rep. Jim Knoblach, state Rep. Phil Krinkie and St. Cloud executive Jay Esmay.