Notes from a progressive district in Minnesota.
I'm very fortunate to live in a Congressional district that is more progressive than most. It's Minnesota CD-4, and serves much of the city of St. Paul and parts of some surrounding suburban communities. Driven by a DFL party organization that is also progressive, we've elected a slate of candidates here, year after year, who are doing their very best to move the country and our local area forward.
Our Congressional representative is Betty McCollum, and everyone down to our city councilman and elected advisory board members represents us well. That's a good thing. But, even in this district, it's very difficult for people who are extremely progressive or focused on single issues to get the endorsement of our DFL caucus and convention system. Why that is can be found below.
I've only been here since 2004, so I can't speak for times earlier than that, but I can speak for times since then. I've been an active participant in the caucus and convention system and am the chairperson for the precinct in which I live. Every couple of years, the DFL organization ramps up for our precinct level caucuses and a variety of conventions that cover the entire district and its sub-districts. Every couple of years, candidates put their names forward for a dozen or so offices and come to the caucuses and conventions to solicit the official endorsement, which is pretty much an essential part of any run for office.
Who gets those endorsements? Well, if an incumbent chooses to run, usually they'll get the endorsement. Usually. In 2012, we refused to endorse our district's state Senator. He had voted with Republicans on one labor issue. So we refused. He ended up withdrawing from the election and one of the other candidates, a Hmong immigrant, ended up winning the primary and the general election. He didn't have the endorsement, either, because no individual candidate got the required 60% majority vote at the convention. Nobody was endorsed.
If there's no incumbent or if others declare their candidacy, they all get checked out by the nominating committee and by most individual delegates. They have to have progressive views on all important issues, but that's not enough on its own. The endorsed candidate has to be seen to be electable. What that means is that single-issue candidates, or candidates who don't seem able to express themselves clearly on a range of issues are not going to be endorsed. Candidates have an opportunity to address the convention, and that speech is crucial. If they can't campaign well to the endorsing convention, they're not going to be endorsed, because they also won't campaign well in the election. Anyone planning to run has to be ready for a lot of questions from individual delegates, and is expected to chat with anyone at the convention who wants a word or two.
Our conventions use a walking caucus method to choose delegates to the next level of the convention system and a straight secret ballot for endorsements. If no candidate gets 60% of the endorsement vote on the first ballot, another ballot is held, with the recipient of the least number of votes not on the ballot. If nobody still gets 60% on the third ballot, no endorsement is made. Candidates are not bound by the endorsement and can still appear on the primary ballot, but it's unusual for a non-endorsed candidate to win the primary. It happens, but it's unusual.
If you want to run for office in the district I'm in - any office - you'll have to be a genuine progressive who can win the election with clearly progressive views on all important issues. It's not easy, but anyone who declares is going to get a good hearing and consideration. One thing, though, is clear. Unless you're a candidate who can win an election, you're not going to get the endorsement. Clarity and broad-based progressive opinions on all important issues are essentials. Single-issue candidates or candidates who can't express themselves on all issues will not be endorsed.