Tonight's St. Paul City Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus and ward conventions promise to be less contentious, candidate and campaign driven experiences than usual. Instead tonight is a great for neighbors to organize around the issues they are most passionate about and to get face time with their elected official and party leaders. St. Paul has a much more useful and regular resolutions process than Minneapolis, which holds caucuses on March 3rd.
Press coverage in advance of the caucus event is light, as usual for the off-year caucus, but not completely lacking. From the Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com:
Mayor Chris Coleman and three school board members — Elona Street-Stewart, Tom Goldstein and John Brodnick — are the only elected officers up for re-election.
St. Paul DFL Chair Darren Tobolt said the lack of any high-profile contests — no Democrat, as of this afternoon, has announced a candidacy against Coleman — will likely make turnout a stark contrast to last year's caucuses, when then-U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were among presidential candidates. Unprecedented turnout led to long lines and more caucus-goers than printed ballots.
I am hoping that people will turn out to submit, support and pass a resolution that calls on the St. Paul DFL organization to ask Rep. Betty McCollum to co-sponsor HR 676. You can use this text if you'd like to write it out on to the official form (PDF - download now - blank copies are also available at your precinct caucus site - ask your chair or convener when you check in):
On adoption of this resolution the executive officers of the St. Paul DFL will communicate through press releases (as well as direct communication) the following statement:
The St. Paul DFL urges U.S. Representative Betty McCollum to co-sponsor H.R. 676, the US National Health Insurance Plan. Rep. McCollum and all other DFL elected officials should use every opportunity to advance the passage of HR 676 into law during the 111th Congress
Once again, here are the caucus locations:
Ward 1 - Rondo Education Center - 560 Concordia Ave., 55103
Ward 2 - Humboldt High School - 30 Baker Street, 55107
Ward 3 - Highland Park Jr. High School - 975 S. Snelling Ave., 55116
Ward 4 - Hancock Elementary School - 1599 Englewood Ave., 55104
Ward 5 - Como High School - 740 Rose Ave W., 55117
Ward 6 - Johnson Sr. High School - 1349 Arcade St., 55106
Ward 7 - Harding High School - 1540 E. Sixth St., 55106
To find your ward and precinct use the MN Secretary of State's pollfinder!
I hope to see you at the caucus and ward conventions tonight!