Susan Kent ousts Tom Bakk as Senate DFL leader
DFLer Susan Kent was elected Senate DFL minority leader on Saturday, toppling longtime Iron Range leader Tom Bakk to become the first woman ever to lead the caucus.
In picking Kent, a two-term member from Woodbury, the 32-member caucus is signaling a shift in direction for the party less than two weeks before the legislative session convenes. They're betting on a fresh face to maneuver in negotiations with DFL Gov. Tim Walz, the DFL-led House and Republicans in control of the Senate in a year in which a bonding bill and a projected $1.3 billion budget surplus are on the table. They're also hoping she can lead them into victory in the 2020 election. Democrats are trying to reclaim power from Republicans who hold a narrow 35-32 majority in the Senate.
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In the battle for control of the Senate, Kent's own suburban swing seat is one Democrats will have to defend this fall. She won re-election in 2016 by just 400 votes, and she's facing a challenge from former Woodbury mayor and one-time Republican gubernatorial candidate Mary Giuliani Stephens.
Kent represents a growing number of urban and suburban members of the caucus who were increasingly at odds with Bakk on issues such as mining and gun control. But some DFLers fear ousting Bakk could exacerbate a trending shift in power from Democrats to Republicans on the Iron Range, while others are worried the caucus is losing one of its most experienced negotiators and campaigners in leadership.
More..
http://www.startribune.com/susan-kent-ousts-tom-bakk-as-senate-dfl-leader/567494992/
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I think that this will further divide the state into metro area and... outer state.
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