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Government and Politics

As the home of two former Vice Presidents—Walter Mondale and Hubert H. Humphrey—Minnesotans have always been actively involved in the political arena, leading most states in voter turnout for the past 20 years. In the 2000 presidential election, nearly 70 percent of eligible Minnesota voters cast their ballots, and over 77 percent turned out in 2004. By contrast, only 51 percent of voters turned out nationally in the 2000 election, and 64 percent turned out in the 2004 election.

In the 2006 Congressional elections, Minnesota showed its wide political span by electing conservative Republican Michele Bachmann in the sixth district, liberal Democrat Keith Ellison in the fifth and moderate Democrat Tim Walz in the first. All are currently serving their first terms.

At the state level, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty won reelection, the DFL maintained control of the Senate and took control of the state House for the first time since 1998. As of May 2007, the House consisted of 85 DFLers and 49 Republicans. The Senate had 44 DFLers and 23 Republicans.

POLITICAL PARTIES
Minnesota’s major political parties are the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Party and the Republican (R) Party of Minnesota. In the mid 1940s, the state Democratic Party merged with the populist Farmer Labor Party to form the DFL party.

In 1994, the two-year-old Independence Party also qualified as a major political party.

Minnesota Democratic Farmer
Labor Party (DFL)
651.293.1200
www.dfl.org

Republican Party of Minnesota (R)
651.222.0022
www.mngop.com

Green Party of Minnesota
612.288.2820
www.mngreens.org

Independence Party of Minnesota
651.487.9700
www.mnip.org

HOW TO VOTE
Voting in Minnesota is a relatively simple process. People who have lived in the state for at least 20 days are eligible to vote in an election. County courthouses, public libraries and other designated locations throughout the area serve as voter registration sites up to 20 days prior to an election. Voter registration can also be done on election day at the polling place with a valid Minnesota driver’s license or registration receipt, a Minnesota identification card that includes a current address, a current utility bill or if accompanied by a registered voter in the precinct who will vouch for the newly registered voter’s residency in writing.

For information about registration and polling locations, contact city or county elections offices. In Saint Paul and Ramsey County, call Ramsey County Elections at 651.266.2171. For more information, call the League of Women Voters of Minnesota at 651.224.5445.

CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
Local and Washington, D.C. addresses for Saint Paul/East Metro area congressional representatives are listed below:

U.S. Senator Norm Coleman (R)
2550 University Avenue West
Suite 100 North
Saint Paul, MN 55114
651.645.0323

United States Senate
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202.224.5641
Email: opinion@coleman.senate.gov
www.coleman.senate.gov

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL)
1 Federal Drive
Whipple Federal Building, Suite 298
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
612.727.5220

United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202.224.3244
www.klobuchar.senate.gov

4th District - U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (DFL)
165 Western Avenue North, Suite 17
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651.224.9191

United States House of Representatives
1029 Longworth House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515
202.225.6631
Email Form: www.house.gov/mccollum/contact.html
www.house.gov/mccollum

6th District - U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (R)
6043 Hudson Rd. Suite 330
Woodbury, MN 55125
651.731.5400

6th District- U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (R)
110 2nd Street S. Suite 232
Waite Park, MN 56387
320.253.5931

United States House of Representatives
412 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
202.225.2331
www.bachmann.house.gov

STATE GOVERNMENT
Minnesota has a traditional state government model, with a Governor, State Senate and State House of Representatives. With the last election, Republicans maintained control of the Governor’s office, while Democrats retained control of the State Senate and gained control of the State House. www.state.mn.us

Governor - Tim Pawlenty (R)
Office of the Governor
130 State Capitol
Saint Paul, MN 55155
651.296.3391
Email: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

SENATE & HOUSE MEMBERS
You can easily communicate with your public officials in the Grassroots Action Center at www.saintpaulchamber.com or contact your Senator or Representative in writing by using the appropriate office number on the next page.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT
In the Saint Paul/East Metro area, the counties of Ramsey, Dakota and Washington are governed by Boards of Commissioners.

Ramsey County Board of Commissioners
220 Court House
15 West Kellogg Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651.266.8350
www.co.ramsey.mn.us

Board of County Commissioners:
District 1 – Tony Bennett, Chair
District 2 – Jan Parker
District 3 – Janice Rettman
District 4 – Toni Carter
District 5 – Rafael Ortega
District 6 – Jim McDonough
District 7 – Victoria Reinhardt

Dakota County Board of Commissioners
Dakota County Administration Bldg.
1590 Highway 55
Hastings, MN 55033-2372
651.438.4418
www.co.dakota.mn.us

Board of County Commissioners:
District 1 – Joseph Harris
District 2 – Kathleen Gaylord
District 3 – Thomas Egan
District 4 – Nancy Schouweiler
District 5 – Michael Turner, Chair
District 6 – Paul Krause
District 7 – Willis Branning

Washington County Board of Commissioners
Washington County Government Center
14949 - 62nd Street North, P.O. Box 6
Stillwater, MN 55082-0006
651.430.6000
www.co.washington.mn.us

Board of County Commissioners:
District 1 – Dennis C. Hegberg
District 2 – Bill Pulkrabek
District 3 – Gary Kriesel, Chair
District 4 – Myra Peterson
District 5 – Greg Orth

CITY GOVERNMENT
The Mayor of Saint Paul and City Council members serve four-year terms. Most individual communities have a mayor and city council; some rely on a city manager or administrator.

Local elected officials listed below may change after municipal elections in November 2007:

Saint Paul
Mayor Chris Coleman
390 Saint Paul City Hall
15 W. Kellogg Boulevard
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651.266.8510
E-mail: mayor@ci.stpaul.mn.us
www.ci.stpaul.mn.us

City Council
Ward 1 - Debbie Montgomery
Ward 2 - Dave Thune
Ward 3 - Pat Harris
Ward 4 - Jay Benanav
Ward 5 - Lee Helgen
Ward 6 - Dan Bostrom
Ward 7 - Kathy Lantry (Council President)