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Friday, June 27, 2008
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Tautges won't seek new term on board
Associate Editor Two Crow County commissioners who are up for election this year made opposite decisions on their respective political careers.
Dewey Tautges, who is concluding his second term, will not run for re-election. Doug Houge, who won a special election in June, will run for a full, four-year term this fall.
Filings for county and legislative offices open Tuesday and close July 15. County candidates file at the county auditor's office. A new law allows legislative candidates to file either with the secretary of state's office in St. Paul or with the county auditor's office of the county where they live.
Tautges, who was preparing to go fishing with his grandson Thursday, said he'll turn 65 on May 22 and he thought it was time for him to move on. He has sold most of his farm to his son but helps him on occasion, he said.
Tautges said keeping property rights in the forefront of government deliberations was one of his proudest accomplishments. While an individual can't damage someone else's property by what they do on their own the individual property owner's rights must be maintained, he said.
"The reason I ran was property rights," he said. "We're moving more and more toward socialist government and I don't think that's the way it should go."
His only regret was that the county was financially unable to do more bonding for paved roads. He said he never pushed for it because of the financial commitments the county had made with its recent building projects.
"There are people who, for 40 years, all they wanted was a decent road," Tautges said.
The District 1 commissioner said he learned that the county board may set policy but it had to listen to input from many people.
"I'm not a micro-manager," he said. "The department heads come up with good ideas."
Tautges was first elected to the board in 2000.
"I've really enjoyed (being on the board) and the people have been great," he said. "I have no bitterness. I'm just content."
Tautges' pending departure from the board reminds voters they will have many more decisions to make this November. Although the presidential race will garner the most attention, election year 2008 also will decide a host of city, county and legislative offices.
Filings for city offices open Aug. 26 and close Sept. 9.
Crow Wing County races this year are for seats held by Dewey Tautges (District 1) and Doug Houge (District 5). Soil and Water Conservation District seats that are up are seats held by District 1, Leonard Koering; District 4, Robert Becker; District 5, Robert Albrecht.
In Cass County, the four-year seats are up for election are currently held by District 3 Commissioner Jeff Peterson and District 5 Commissioner Virgil Foster. The Soil and Water Conservation District seats up for election are Districts 2-5. The incumbent supervisors are Calvin Martin, District 2; James Ballenthin, District 3; Dave Harder, District 4; Will Pehling, District 5.
Brainerd City Council seats up for election are currently held by Ward 1 council member Lucy Nesheim, Ward 3 council member Kevin Goedker, and at-large council members Mark O'Day and Bob Olson.
In Baxter the seats that will be decided are those of Mayor Darrel Olson and council members Gary Muehlhausen and Todd Holman.
Most campaigns for the Minnesota House of Representatives are well under way. Members of the state Senate are not up for re-election. All members of the House will run for two-year terms.
In District 12A Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, has received his party's endorsement to run for a second term. He will face the winner of an expected Republican primary. David Allan Pundt of Baxter overwhelmingly won the Republican Party endorsement but is expected to be challenged by Chrissy Nakonsky of Brainerd.
In District 12B Rep. Al Doty, DFL-Royalton, will face the Republican-endorsed Little Falls City Council President Mike LeMieur.
In District 4B, Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker, is expected to be endorsed next week by Republicans. The DFL-endorsed candidate for that seat is Meg Bye of Pequot Lakes.
Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba, DFL-Long Prairie, will face Republican Dave Kircher, a former Todd County sheriff who now serves on the Todd County Board, in the race for the District 11B seat.
MIKE O'ROURKE may be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.
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