No campaign fatigue here.

With Election Day a mere 2 ½ weeks away, the campaigning heated up Saturday on what was a rather brisk morning.

My wife & I pitched in on behalf of our good friend Derek Brigham in his quest for a seat in the Minnesota Senate, representing District 45. From about Noon until 2:30 pm we covered several blocks in the Crystal area handing out literature.

In the evening we adjourned to the palatial Brigham estate in Plymouth for some socializing amongst campaign volunteers, other members of the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers and some prominent Republican political candidates.

Congressman Mark Kennedy (pictured above, left) made an appearance in an effort to mobilize the base. In his run for US Senate he has consistently trailed opponent Amy Klobuchar in the polls. However, it should be noted that Kennedy was also behind in most of his 2000 campaign for the US House. He ended up winning that race by a mere 155 votes in Congressional District 6. Kennedy joked “It’s a good thing I come from a large Irish family.” The point hit home, however. Every vote will be crucial in what promises to be a historic election season.
As the evening was about to come to a close, Alan Fine (pictured above) made an appearance. The GOP candidate for the 5th Congressional District is an all-around genuine person despite the hatchet job done on him, courtesy of the Minneapolis Red Star Tribune. While I have felt for some time that Fine had no shot in a district which has voted DFL for decades, it now appears there is a ray of hope. Not surprisingly, the 5th CD constituents are becoming increasingly concerned with DFLer Keith Ellison’s past, prompting many to consider Independent candidate Tammy Lee. If this becomes a legitimate three-way contest, Fine would only need 35-40% of the vote to claim victory.

With the campaigning heading into the home stretch, look for yours truly on the Egret Blvd overpass in Coon Rapids if you travel Hwy 10 West on your daily commute home from work. You just might see a large “Mark Kennedy for US Senate” sign.