An I-P candidate jumps in the race to replace Dick Day
Waseca Mayor Roy Srp has jumped in the race to replace GOP state Sen. Dick Day, who's vacating his seat to become a lobbyist. Srp, who ran for the Minnesota House as a Democrat in 1996, said he joined the Independence Party in 1997. He filed his paperwork this morning and said he has the endorsement of the party.
Srp said he would like to cut state spending and avoid tax increases to balance the state's budget. He also criticized the state's other major parties for not solving Minnesota's long-running budget problems.
"The Democrats and the Republicans are responsible for where we're at now financially. We have to start somewhere to correct that. We tried to do that with changing the Democrats to the Republicans and changing the Republicans to the Democrats and it just continues to fail." Full q and a here:
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An official helping worganize on the DFL side said Jason Engbrecht, a St. Olaf professor and Faribault School Board member, is the only candidate currently seeking the endorsement. Local party activists will endorse on Monday night.
Meanwhile, there are five GOP candidates running. The Waseca County News lists them in today's story:
Waseca businessman Mike Parry, Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz, Faribault City Council member Steven Underdahl, Faribault businesswoman Teri Menard, and Ted Boosalis, the former owner of Costa's Chocolates in Owatonna. There may be more candidates who have yet to come out of the woodwork, said David Thul, the co-chair of Steele County Republicans.
Thul said another possible Republican candidate had told party leaders he would throw his hat in, though he had yet to make a public announcement.
A MNGOP staffer says the party will endorse a candidate on Monday night in Faribault.
The special election is scheduled for January 26th.
Side Note: For those wondering, I'll post interviews with the GOP and DFL candidates once they win the endorsement.