Dakota County Commissioner Seeks DFL Endorsement in Race Against Kline

A third DFLer has entered the Second Congressional District race in hopes to unseat Republican Rep. John Kline.

Dakota County Commissioner and former South St. Paul Mayor Kathleen Gaylord on Thursday filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission declaring her intention to run as a DFL candidate for Congress in the Second Congressional District.

Goylord joins former Eagan State Rep.  and Northfield City Councilor as candidates seeking the DFL endorsement to run against Kline, a five-term incumbent.

"It’s time for new representation in the new (Second) Congressional District,” Gaylord said in a statement after filing. “Voters of all political persuasions are fed up with elected officials who put partisanship ahead of progress. They want common sense government instead of governance by the lowest common denominator." 

Gaylord, an attorney, is in her third term as a Dakota County Commissioner, having been elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006 and 2010. In 2006 and 2009, she was elected Dakota County Board Chair and is the current Vice Chair.

Prior to her service on the Dakota County Board, Gaylord served for 10 years as the mayor of South St. Paul after eight years on the South St. Paul City Council.

She currently chairs the state Property Tax Working Group to study ways to simplify the complex state property tax system. 

"I’m excited to introduce myself to the voters of the 2nd in the coming months and to listen and learn about their hopes, their concerns and what they want from their government," Gaylord said in a statement. "It will be an honor and a privilege to continue those efforts in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the entire (Second) District.”

Last month when Obermueller was "seriously" , he told The UpTake that he wanted to put real representation back into Washington, D.C.

"We basically lost a decade of prosperity and progress in this district," he said.

Ganey, a development officer at , said one of his priorities is to make education available for every American.

"We need to invest in our young children and also make sure that every college-bound student can afford it," he said in his candidacy announcement. "We must support the young entrepreneur and the mid-career professional who have the bold ideas for a new business, and make sure they are not thwarted by a lack of local infrastructure or a lack of health care coverage. "

A DFL endorsement is expected April 28.

Kline targeted?

For years, Kline has been a safe bet during election season, churning out double-digit election wins every cycle.

But after this year's Congressional redistricting, the new Second District now includes DFL-leaning portions of northern Dakota County, as well as southern Washington County, and doesn't include Republican strongholds such as Carver County.

In the 2010 election, Kline beat up on DFLer Shelley Madore, winning by 27 points. But the tale of the election lay in fundraising: the Star Tribune reported that Madore raised just $89,000 compared to Kline's $1.5 million.

And that's where the DFL is looking for help. 

Kline is now the target of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee radio ads, according to MinnPost, slamming the Congressman for his vote in support of Rep. Paul Ryan's Republican budget plan that eliminates Medicare.

In addition, Politico is reporting that the Democratic National Committee is looking more closely at the Second District, and could plow money into the race in support of a Democrat.

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