Author Archives: Mark Sommerhauser

Mark Sommerhauser

About Mark Sommerhauser

Greetings! I cover state and some federal politics for the St. Cloud Times. Before this, I worked the political beat at the Winona Daily News.
Follow Mark Sommerhauser at https://twitter.com/msommerhauser

Senate panel hears about I-94 congestion

A state Senate panel heard a presentation Wednesday on a topic with which Central Minnesota commuters have become all too familiar: recurring congestion on Interstate 94 between St. Cloud and the northwest Twin Cities suburbs.

Officials with the St. Cloud … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Online | 210 Comments

Graves: “I’ll always keep an open mind” on 2014 run

DFLer Jim Graves says supporters everywhere have urged him to make another go at knocking off Rep. Michele Bachmann in the weeks after his narrow election loss to her Nov. 6.

Graves says he’s gotten more than 1,000 calls or … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Online, Political Quarry, Politics | 762 Comments

Pederson: Election a “one-off” event

State Sen. John Pederson says last Tuesday’s thumping of GOP legislative candidates was a “one-off” event that needn’t trigger broader changes to how Republicans pick candidates or communicate with voters.

Pederson, R-St. Cloud, earned his second term in the Senate … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Political Quarry, Politics | 681 Comments

House Majority Leader: DFL using “racist tactics” in anti-Banaian mailer

Minnesota House Majority Leader Matt Dean is accusing the Minnesota DFL of “racist tactics” in a campaign mailer it sent out against Rep. King Banaian, R-St. Cloud.

The mailer features a photo of Banaian on which a crown has been … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Online | 155 Comments

Sartell mayor: Bachmann’s Verso response lacking

With Rep. Michele Bachmann under fire for her response to the explosion at Sartell’s Verso Paper Corp. mill, Sartell Mayor Joe Perske says he wasn’t impressed with Bachmann’s efforts to aid workers affected by the disaster.

Bachmann’s DFL challenger, Jim … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Online | 424 Comments

Graves releases new ads on his bio, Verso mill

Rep. Michele Bachmann’s DFL opponent, Jim Graves, released a pair of new ads today, including its inaugural TV ad and a web spot that rips Bachmann’s response to Sartell’s Verso mill explosion.

The TV ad is the campaign’s first, and … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Online | 753 Comments

Graves campaign poll says race a toss-up

DFLer Jim Graves’ campaign has released an internal poll depicting its race with GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann as a statistical toss-up.

The poll pegs support for the three-term incumbent Bachmann, R-Stillwater, at 48 percent compared to 46 percent for Graves, … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Political Quarry, Politics | 109 Comments

Democratic Super PAC enters 6th District race

A Democratic Super PAC is adding Rep. Michele Bachmann to a national list of tea party lawmakers it’s working to defeat.

San Francisco-based Credo Super PAC announced it will begin mobilizing volunteers in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District to phone-bank and … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Political Quarry, Politics | 693 Comments

Graves: “I’m really not a Democrat”

DFL congressional candidate Jim Graves is distancing himself from the party that endorsed him.

Graves, the DFL challenger to Rep. Michele Bachmann, last month told the Times he won’t defend his party’s 2012 standard-bearer, President Barack Obama.

Graves, a hotel … Hit the jump to read the rest

Posted in Political Quarry, Politics | 796 Comments