Copyright Star Tribune
Thank you to the candidates who entered the ring this recent election cycle, the winners, losers and also-rans. It’s easy to criticize politicians and wonder whether their motives are driven by altruism or ego. But their path is not for the lazy. Candidates have to beg constantly for cash. They give up nights and weekends with family and friends to knock on doors in all weather. They face strangers who grill them on a range of heavy concerns from bikeways and lead pipes to recreation center hours and property tax bills. Candidates work around the clock with no guarantee of success and if they win, there’s more of the same. Cheers to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter for a gracious concession in which he resurfaced his own social media post from two years ago and wished Mayor-elect Kaohly Her good luck. Cheers as well to Minneapolis voters for record turnout. Let’s pump up those participation numbers even more in future years. The DFL state senator came up short in his attempt to oust Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and couldn’t be troubled to contact the two-term incumbent to concede graciously or otherwise after the race was called around noon Wednesday. In response to a reporter’s question at an afternoon event Wednesday, Frey said challengers DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton had reached out to him with the traditional concessionary and congratulatory call. It’s not a requirement to make the call, and it can’t be easy after a tough campaign, but it’s the right move. Politics is tough. You win some, you lose some and if you’re gracious, you live to fight another day, but being a sore loser is never a good look. It’s quite revealing. Four words are all that were needed, senator: “Congratulations and good luck.” The Winona woman was murdered in her home by the father of her children in 2023, and her friends and family are turning their grief into action. Kingsbury’s mother, Krista Hultgren of Coon Rapids, and friend Lauren DeBois of Minneapolis created a foundation in Kingsbury’s name to try to help other women escape violent relationships. Foundation volunteers already have handed out pamphlets at Winona State University football games to spread the word about available resources. Domestic violence is insidious and can be difficult to understand or escape. As DeBois described it: “Leaving doesn’t just happen, and victims can’t magically move on.” Thanks to Kingsbury’s survivors for trying to ease the way for other victims. A report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor pointed out a sloppy handling of receipts by the office of Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. “We identified a significant number of instances of noncompliance and internal control deficiencies related to receipts, inventory, and payroll and nonpayroll expenditures,” the audit read. This is an extraordinarily bad look for the state’s top executive whose office should be run in an exemplary fashion. Rep. Steven Jacob, R-Altura, said he was concerned about the lax controls given “that’s what opens the door on a bigger level for the whole state.” Committee Chair Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, called the results “not acceptable” and she noted that “over and over again” there was a “lack of attention” to receipts for reimbursement. Auditors found no evidence of fraud or misuse, but Rest said, “If they aren’t keeping receipts, there’s nothing to check.” Legislative Auditor Judy Randall underscored the concern as the “lack of internal controls that create an opportunity for something worse to happen.” Could somebody please find him an agent and a sponsor? In June, Reichow was the surprise winner of Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, the first Minnesotan to claim the top spot since 2009. On Sunday, he was the top U.S. men’s runner in the gigantic and highly acclaimed New York City Marathon. Also cheer-worthy is Reichow’s strategic approach to the race. He sat back and waited for the leaders to fade. “All of the sudden [my thought was], ‘I am taking over this race,’” Reichow said post-race. “I tried to put pressure on and get to the finish line.” Runner’s World magazine called his 2:09.56 a “huge breakthrough” for Reichow, who finished 6th overall. This runner is easy to spot with his long, curly dark locks and mustache and beard, so give the hometown star a shout of encouragement when you see him out training on Twin Cities streets. The House majority whip brought the national shame spotlight to the state’s congressional delegation because of his enduring mean streak and parroting of President Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories. The outlet the Bulwark wrote that Emmer has abandoned any pretense of wanting to work across the aisle, describing him as “gratuitously nasty” and fond of “grade-school taunts.” The Bulwark cited a series of Emmer’s denigrating and childish insults of Gov. Tim Walz, the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Emmer even went so low as to mock Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s weight. The congressman has morphed into this political ogre. He wasn’t like this when he served in the Minnesota Legislature nearly 20 years ago, which means he has chosen to sink this low. We know Emmer’s capable of being civil, even nice. Unfortunately, we long ago abandoned hope that Emmer of old might seek to reclaim his soul. And what a way to celebrate that milestone by electing state Rep. Kaohly Her as St. Paul mayor. A historic nod as well to Choua Lee, elected to the St. Paul Board of Education in 1991, the first local Hmong candidate to win election. Of Minnesota’s 100,000 Hmong immigrants, who fled war and persecution in Southeast Asia, about one third live in St. Paul. Sen. Foung Hawj, DFL-St. Paul, said Her’s election is especially poignant as Hmong people don’t have a national identity, a homeland. “Rep. Her is a solid-gold example of our American dream — our Hmong American dream,” he said. “I’m so happy for her.” And now Her’s challenging work at City Hall begins.
