Crow Wing County DFLers gathered Saturday to elect district delegates and move forward resolutions to the district convention.
The convention took place at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, where 102 delegates elected at the caucuses weighed in on party platform and elected county party directors. The group heard a message loud and clear from former legislators and those running for election this year: volunteer time and money is needed to assist in the party's goal of taking back the state House of Representatives.
Steve Samuelson, who's worked in the House DFL caucus and is the son of longtime area DFLer Don Samuelson, read a letter from House Minority Leader Paul Thissen to convention goers.
"We have recruited an incredibly strong field of candidates," Thissen's letter stated. "It's with a strong team effort from across the state that we will take back a majority."
Local candidates who addressed the group were Quinn Nystrom, who is running for the seat in House District 10A, and Tiffany Stenglein, who has thrown her name in for Senate District 10. Both Nystrom and Stenglein are challenging Republican incumbents.
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The DFL has not yet recruited a candidate to run in House District 10B. Both House district seats turned Republican after the 2014 election. Both of the Democrats who held those seats-John Ward and Joe Radinovich-also spoke of the party's values and the need to take back area representation to forward those values.
The election of county party directors was on the agenda Saturday, as five of the 15 currently serving have opted not to continue. Elected at the convention to fill those positions were Roger Lynn, Andrew Rydberg, Bruce Peck, Shannon Crosby and Jeanie Neville.
About a dozen each of men and women among the delegates asked for consideration to move on as district delegates. After brief introductions, the candidates were asked to disclose which Presidential candidate they were supporting. The selection process was split by gender to ensure equal representation of half men and half women.
Men elected to attend the district convention were: Steve Samuelson, Joe Simenstad, Bob Passi, Tom Besnett, Rydberg and Lynn.
Women elected to attend were: Enid Swaggert, Kathy Hegstrom, Beth Passi, Marcia Ferris, HollyRose McKnight, Nancy Williams and Gwen Besnett.
Delegate alternates were: Wayne Altonen, Bob Neishem, Charlie Warner, Daryl Kula, Keith Blomstrom, Richard Schmidtbauer, Sarah Armstrong, Beryl Roe, Audra Lind, Jeanne Rubio, Sarah Huber, Peck, Crosby and Neville.
Those in attendance voted for their top 15 choices of party platform resolutions among 51 choices, determined at the caucus. Crow Wing County DFL Chair Swaggert said the results of those votes would be tallied Thursday.
Next on the agenda for DFLers is the endorsing convention, scheduled for April 30 in Crosby. The district convention will take place May 7-8 in Duluth.
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CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey .
