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Paul supporter Kurt Bills seen as contender in U.S. Senate race (Minnesota alert)
The Twin Cities Pioneer Press ^ | April 21, 2012 | Patrick Condon

Posted on 04/23/2012 9:30:09 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued

Ron Paul might be striking out in his pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination, but the activist energy his campaign unleashed in Minnesota is positioning one of his followers as the party's unlikely favorite to take on U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November. Kurt Bills is a rookie state representative from Rosemount and a high school economics teacher. Until he made a late and unexpected entry into the race in March, Bills was never mentioned as a Republican prospect to challenge Democratic incumbent Klobuchar. But in recent weeks, an increasing number of Republicans have pegged him as the frontrunner to get the pivotal party endorsement at the GOP state convention in May.

"I think we're seeing Kurt Bills picking up some real steam in the last few weeks," said Noah Rouen, a Republican political consultant who hasn't endorsed a Senate candidate. Bills recently unveiled endorsements from more than 30 Republican colleagues in the Legislature, far outpacing the backing touted so far by the other two serious GOP Senate candidates.

(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...


TOPICS: Candidates
KEYWORDS: bush2004vote; mnsenate

1 posted on 04/23/2012 9:30:11 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
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To: traviskicks; bamahead; 2ndDivisionVet; Zanton; fieldmarshaldj; AuH2ORepublican; Impy; ...

While I realize many Freepers have qualms about Ron Paul, he’s brought positive ideas into the election. Also, it would be great to have Libertarian factions in the Republican Caucus of the U.S. Senate, and the House, as well.


2 posted on 04/23/2012 9:32:50 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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To: Clintonfatigued

I support Pete Hegseth for senate in mn. Executive Director of Vets for Freedom – a national veterans advocacy group – Pete raised over $8 million and built an organization of 95,000 members to take on then-Senator Obama and the mainstream media’s narrative of failure on the battlefield.


3 posted on 04/23/2012 10:04:55 PM PDT by Brimack34
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To: Clintonfatigued; fieldmarshaldj; AuH2ORepublican; randita

I’m disappointed we didn’t find a first tier candidate in MN (or PA).

I guess it’s between Bills and Doc Severson who lost the sec of state race in 2010 by a small margin.

Other MN news, the district convention couldn’t decide who to endorse for Congress in district 1, will try again later.

MN redistricting was lame thanks to that stolen gubernatorial election. CD 1 has the same Obama numbers as do 7 and 8. C2 (Kline) sees +2 Obama (he lost the old, won the new). CD3 gets 1 point better. CDs 4 and 5 uselessly get slightly better.


4 posted on 04/24/2012 1:22:00 PM PDT by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: Impy; Clintonfatigued; fieldmarshaldj; randita

Why not Pete Hegseth? He could be a younger Ron Johnson. http://www.peteforsenate.com/

MN redistricting was horribly disappointing for two reasons: (i) MN barely held on to its 8th congressional district at the 2010 Census and (ii) as you mentioned, the RATs stole the governorship in 2010 and prevented the GOP from having full control of the process. Had the GOP controlled the process with only seven CDs, it could have combined the Twin Cities into a single, hyper-Democrat CD (and it could use the excuse of making it “minority influence”), and then either draw 6 GOP-leaning CDs or draw 5 more comfortably GOP CDs and a Dem-leaning CD for Peterson that could be competitive after he retired. (Or, less likely but more efficient, draw a minority-influence CD in Minneapolis and other parts of the Twin Cities, draw a second heavily Dem CD combining in white, socially conservative parts of St. Paul and the Duluth area through parts of Washington County and a narrow corridor along the Wisconsin border, and then draw five safely GOP CDs.)

Are you sure that the redrawn MN-04 isn’t potentially competitive? The portions of Washington County added lean Republican, and the district didn’t give Kerry that much of a majority in 2004.


5 posted on 04/24/2012 2:52:03 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what makes you think that he'll protect your rights?)
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To: AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued; randita
Why not Pete Hegseth?

Perhaps, I hadn't heard of him. He sure seems happy. I certainly not wowed by the other 2.

What numbers do you have for the 4th district? I thought Bush got under 40% there so 2 or 3 points isn't gonna make that competitive.

6 posted on 04/24/2012 9:24:12 PM PDT by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: Impy; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued; randita

You’re right, the MN-04 held President Bush to 37% in both 2000 and 2004; I mistakenly thought that Bush had reached 40% in 2004. If the Bush 2004 percentage is now 39%-40%, it would take a miracle for the GOP to pick it up. Apart from the LA-02 that Cao took from the indicted (and later convicted) “William “Cold Cash” Jefferson in a low-turnout December 2008 run-off, it’s been over a decade since the GOP has won a House race in a district whose Bush 2004 performance was below 44%. (By comparison, since 2002 redistricting, Democrats have won *42* different House seats where Kerry got below (sometimes way below) 44%.)


7 posted on 04/25/2012 6:08:01 AM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what makes you think that he'll protect your rights?)
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To: Impy; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued; randita

Sorry, I miscounted; since 2002 redistricting, Democrats have won *44* different House seats where Kerry got below 44%.

AL-02 (Bright 2008)

AL-05 (Cramer 2002, 2004, 2006; Griffith 2008)

CO-04 (Markey 2008)

ID-01 (Minnick 2008)

IN-02 (Donnelly 2006, 2008, 2010)

IN-08 (Ellsworth 2006, 2008)

IN-09 (Hill 2002, 2006, 2008)

KS-02 (Boyda 2006)

KY-04 (Lucas 2002)

KY-06 (Chandler 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)

LA-03 (Melancon 2004, 2006, 2008)

LA-05 (Alexander 2002)

LA-06 (Cazayoux 2008 special)

LA-07 (John 2002)

MD-01 (Kratovil 2008)

MN-07 (Peterson 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)

MS-01 (Childers 2008)

MS-04 (Taylor 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)

MO-04 (Skelton 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)

NM-02 (Teague 2008)

NY-26 (Hochul 2011 special)

NY-29 (Massa 2008)

NC-11 (Schuler 2006, 2008, 2010)

ND-AL (Pomeroy 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)

OH-18 (Space 2006, 2008)

OK-02 (Carson 2002; Boren 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)

PA-10 (Carney 2006, 2008)

PA-17 (Holden 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)

SC-05 (Spratt 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)

SD-AL (Herseth 2004, 2006, 2008)

TN-04 (Davis 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)

TN-06 (Gordon 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)

TX-01 (Sandlin 2002)

TX-02 (Turner 2002)

TX-04 (Hall 2002)

TX-09 (Lampson 2002)

TX-11 (Edwards 2002)

TX-17 (Stenholm 2002; Edwards 2004, 2006, 2008)

TX-22 (Lampson 2006)

TX-23 (Rodriguez 2006, 2008)

UT-02 (Matheson 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)

VA-02 (Nye 2008)

VA-09 (Boucher 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)

WV-01 (Mollohan 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)


8 posted on 04/25/2012 6:43:34 AM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what makes you think that he'll protect your rights?)
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To: Clintonfatigued

“While I realize many Freepers have qualms about Ron Paul, he’s brought positive ideas into the election. Also, it would be great to have Libertarian factions in the Republican Caucus of the U.S. Senate, and the House, as well.”

100% agree!


9 posted on 04/25/2012 8:00:11 AM PDT by GOPsterinMA (Really?)
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To: AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj; GOPsterinMA

Right leaning voters can take a lesson from demorat lemmings. Ticket splitting is for pansies and there are no good guys on the other side.


10 posted on 04/26/2012 5:20:20 AM PDT by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: MinnesotaLibertarian; Wyoming Cowboy; Timber Rattler; joe fonebone; Wuli; BaBaStooey; ...

Do you want a bonna fide Libertarian in the U.S. Senate? Here’s your chance. The nominating convention is in a few weeks and I think that Kurt Bills could be a real contender in November.


11 posted on 05/06/2012 6:06:55 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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To: Tupelo

Libertarian ping


12 posted on 05/08/2012 6:14:39 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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