BREAKING NEWS: HATCH ENDORSED BY SEIU
ST. PAUL (AP) A fast-growing union is lining up behind D-F-L Attorney General Mike Hatch, the newest entrant in the 2006 Minnesota governor's race.
Just days after Hatch officially entered the race, the Service Employees International Union has endorsed him. The 28-thousand member union says Hatch best matches the organization's views on health care.
Hatch has already collected the backing of unions for nurses and steelworkers as he seeks his party's nomination to take on Governor Pawlenty next fall.
In the 2002 governor's race, S-E-I-U waited withheld its endorsement until a few months before the election. Source: Associated Press, October 27, 2005
11 Comments:
The only news here is that the more progressive candidate Becky Lourey wasn't even given a shot.
Lining the endorsements up early may be way that Hatch is going to get teh DFL base behind him early going into the convention. Smart move.
Hey Stpaul_Dink! I was in Chicago yesterday, so I missed your invite.
E-mail me tjswift@yahoo.com for directions.
The problem is, no one except Hatch got a shot. Want to knoe how I know, I called both the Kelley and the Doran campaigns to ask about all the Hatch endorsments. Both said that they were not given the opportunity to "show their stuff" to those unions.
It will be interesting though for Doran because I am almost positive an announcement will be comeing within the next week and a half or so that the large majority of Iron Range legislators will endorse Doran...How does that look for the Hatch campaign?
If the iron rangers are supporting anyone, it's gonna be Lowrey - hatch's connections don't go any deeper than he has already shown. but why doran?
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Iron Range reps have been behind Doran for a while. Lourey doesn't vote their way and may threaten their way of life. She is from the Hinckley area- not the Range.
Hatch was from Duluth. Enough said.
Doran is rumored to be running with former state senator Janezich. Iron Range legislators Solberg, Tommasoni, Sertich, Rukavina and Dill are already on Board with him behind the scenes.
Doesn't matter that the Steelworkers endorsed Hatch.
Hate to break it to you...but Solberg, Rukavina, Dill, and Sertich are all supporting Hatch. Chek out his website and endorsement page which lists the legislators supporting him.. The only legislators from the range not supporting him at the moment are Tommassoni and Bakk.
I got word from at least one person on Hatch's list that is not actually supporting him. Makes me wonder how many more there are like that.
Also, 4 years ago, Lourey received quite a bit of support from the range and the rest of the 8th CD.
I really don't like how the unions operate their endorsements. They rarely give all candiates a chance even to speak their minds, and it seems as though they have already made up their minds far before the announcements anyway. It is happening in every major race.
They rarely give all candiates a chance even to speak their minds, and it seems as though they have already made up their minds far before the announcements anyway.
That is an accurate statement.
I'll have a lot harder time proving why its not true than you would proving it so.
Why is it so?
Unions have set criteria which they believe are supportive of their membership. Most people who run for office will have a record- or a party with a record (though many many republicans get union endorsements). The union screening committee can look at the profile of the candidate and then decide what to do with that.
A lot politicians have close and set relationships with unions, and when they make a move its only a formality for endorsement because they've been good for their interest all along.
Everything i'm saying abut unions, goes for the chambers of commerce too.
Speaking your heart and mind sounds good, but by a certain time you have a record or perceived party views to connect or disconnect yourself from.
Lately, unions have also gotten their tails kicked under republican rule and will probably jump at the first chance they get to endorse a candidate that looks like they can beat Pawlenty or Kennedy for Senate.
The more MDE and republican voices yelp over Hatch, the stronger case you build for him that he's the one to beat.
Ask Randy Kelly here in Saint Paul about that.
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