MN-2. Kline to retire.

[JerryArkansas]

Link to his statement.

Any thoughts on who could run on either side?

[Gass3268]

Depending on who runs this is a toss-up, especially during a presidential year.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Praise the lord!

[windjammer]

By which margin did Obama carry this district?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

By which margin did Obama carry this district?

49-49 (300 vote difference)

[Figueira]

Would it be accurate to call this a tossup?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Would it be accurate to call this a tossup?

Leans R until dems get a great nominee.

[smoltchanov]

Swingy district. Democrats already have 2 good candidates, but Republicans have a good bench (probably - slightly better then Democrats) here. In Presidential year chances are about 50-50

[DrScholl]

It's a narrow district open in a presidential, so it's a tossup. Democrats already have two candidates running and Republicans have none as of yet. That equals a tossup.

[Brewer]

Hallelujah!

[CatoMinor]

District that Republicans are perfectly capable of winning that will somehow be thrown away by a terrible candidate +1

[mds32]

Depends on who gets in for the GOP. If they get a good candidate, perhaps one of the Dakota county commissioners, then Tilt GOP.

Anyone else is a tossup for both parties.

[136or142]

Why was he inKlined to do this?

[136or142]

From Roll Call:
On the Republican side, multiple party operatives said to expect a crowded primary. Possible candidates include:

State Sen. Dave Thompson, a former conservative radio host who represents a district south of the Twin Cities. Thompson ran for governor, but dropped out before the primary.

Former state Rep. Kurt Bills, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012.

State Rep. Pat Garofalo, who has been in the state legislature since 2004.

Former state Sen. Ted Daley, who lost re-election in 2012.

Businessman Mike McFadden, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Al Franken for Senate in 2014.

State Rep. Rod Hamilton, who first came to the state legislature in 2004.

David Gerson, a libertarian who unsuccessfully waged a primary against Kline in both 2012 and 2014.

http://atr.rollcall.com/minnesotas-john-kline-will-not-seek-eighth-term/

[smoltchanov]

From Roll Call:
On the Republican side, multiple party operatives said to expect a crowded primary. Possible candidates include:

State Sen. Dave Thompson, a former conservative radio host who represents a district south of the Twin Cities. Thompson ran for governor, but dropped out before the primary.

Former state Rep. Kurt Bills, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012.

State Rep. Pat Garofalo, who has been in the state legislature since 2004.

Former state Sen. Ted Daley, who lost re-election in 2012.

Businessman Mike McFadden, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Al Franken for Senate in 2014.

State Rep. Rod Hamilton, who first came to the state legislature in 2004.

David Gerson, a libertarian who unsuccessfully waged a primary against Kline in both 2012 and 2014.

http://atr.rollcall.com/minnesotas-john-kline-will-not-seek-eighth-term/

All seem to be "solid conservatives", and thus, may be - not the best candidates for this swing district. But, after all, there are almost no moderates left in Minnesota's Republican party..

[Maxwell]

From Roll Call:
On the Republican side, multiple party operatives said to expect a crowded primary. Possible candidates include:

State Sen. Dave Thompson, a former conservative radio host who represents a district south of the Twin Cities. Thompson ran for governor, but dropped out before the primary.

Former state Rep. Kurt Bills, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012.

State Rep. Pat Garofalo, who has been in the state legislature since 2004.

Former state Sen. Ted Daley, who lost re-election in 2012.

Businessman Mike McFadden, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Al Franken for Senate in 2014.

State Rep. Rod Hamilton, who first came to the state legislature in 2004.

David Gerson, a libertarian who unsuccessfully waged a primary against Kline in both 2012 and 2014.

http://atr.rollcall.com/minnesotas-john-kline-will-not-seek-eighth-term/

All seem to be "solid conservatives", and thus, may be - not the best candidates for this swing district. But, after all, there are almost no moderates left in Minnesota's Republican party..

That implies the incumbent was a moderate - John Kline had a 100% conservative record.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

From Roll Call:
On the Republican side, multiple party operatives said to expect a crowded primary. Possible candidates include:

State Sen. Dave Thompson, a former conservative radio host who represents a district south of the Twin Cities. Thompson ran for governor, but dropped out before the primary.

Former state Rep. Kurt Bills, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012.

State Rep. Pat Garofalo, who has been in the state legislature since 2004.

Former state Sen. Ted Daley, who lost re-election in 2012.

Businessman Mike McFadden, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Al Franken for Senate in 2014.

State Rep. Rod Hamilton, who first came to the state legislature in 2004.

David Gerson, a libertarian who unsuccessfully waged a primary against Kline in both 2012 and 2014.

http://atr.rollcall.com/minnesotas-john-kline-will-not-seek-eighth-term/

Thompson = Too Conservative
Bills = Has no idea how to campaign. Yeah, Klobuchar's popular, but barely breaking 30% is just inexcusable. Minnesota is not New York.
Daley = Needs a republican year. 2016 might not be that.
McFadden = honestly? First Bills is brought up, then this guy? Is this how pathetic the MN GOP has gotten? McFadden actually lost this district last year, which is unacceptable given how republ2014 was. Jeff Johnson (R) won this district in his gubernatorial campaign last year, so McFadden can't use the whole "the wave avoided the state" excuse either.
Gerson = Total sacrificial lamb candidate. We're not talking about the 4th or 5th district here.

The other two I don't know enough about to comment on.

[Nyvin]

From Roll Call:
On the Republican side, multiple party operatives said to expect a crowded primary. Possible candidates include:

State Sen. Dave Thompson, a former conservative radio host who represents a district south of the Twin Cities. Thompson ran for governor, but dropped out before the primary.

Former state Rep. Kurt Bills, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012.

State Rep. Pat Garofalo, who has been in the state legislature since 2004.

Former state Sen. Ted Daley, who lost re-election in 2012.

Businessman Mike McFadden, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Al Franken for Senate in 2014.

State Rep. Rod Hamilton, who first came to the state legislature in 2004.

David Gerson, a libertarian who unsuccessfully waged a primary against Kline in both 2012 and 2014.

http://atr.rollcall.com/minnesotas-john-kline-will-not-seek-eighth-term/

All seem to be "solid conservatives", and thus, may be - not the best candidates for this swing district. But, after all, there are almost no moderates left in Minnesota's Republican party..

That implies the incumbent was a moderate - John Kline had a 100% conservative record.

Kline was too conservative for the district, but everyone loved him cause he's a USMC Colonel.

[Brewer]

Yuck, anybody but Garofalo.

[136or142]

Yuck, anybody but Garofalo.

You're in luck: MN CD-2: "I would rather stick a fork in my eye than run for Congress" - State Rep Pat Garofalo (R) about Cong Kline's newly open seat.
www.politics1.com

I suppose he could be a masochist though.

[Brewer]

Yuck, anybody but Garofalo.

You're in luck: MN CD-2: "I would rather stick a fork in my eye than run for Congress" - State Rep Pat Garofalo (R) about Cong Kline's newly open seat.
www.politics1.com

I suppose he could be a masochist though.

LOL, I wouldn't be surprised if that creepy racist was revealed as such.

[136or142]

One more potential Republican candidate, the Roll Call story was updated, but I may have just missed this:
GOP operatives also mentioned former Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s wife, Mary, as a possible wildcard candidate. She is a former state court judge.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Well then this one getting a lot more D in redistricting did kind of work out.

Oh this also means that I have a nearby race to follow and work on for 2016! I expected 2016 to be like 2014 with nothing worth working on since I don't see any of the Republican candidates winning Minnesota. Even though suburban campaigning isn't as fun.

For now I'd say this guy is the most likely DFL candidate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Atkins

Mike Obermueller (candidate from 2014) might run again too, he's a former State Rep from a very swingy district, although I'd hope we can do better than a one term former State Rep who last held office six years prior. But he's not a bad campaigner.

Dunno about the Republicans, but they have a lot of state legislators in the seat who are no doubt interested.

[smoltchanov]

From Roll Call:
On the Republican side, multiple party operatives said to expect a crowded primary. Possible candidates include:

State Sen. Dave Thompson, a former conservative radio host who represents a district south of the Twin Cities. Thompson ran for governor, but dropped out before the primary.

Former state Rep. Kurt Bills, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012.

State Rep. Pat Garofalo, who has been in the state legislature since 2004.

Former state Sen. Ted Daley, who lost re-election in 2012.

Businessman Mike McFadden, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Al Franken for Senate in 2014.

State Rep. Rod Hamilton, who first came to the state legislature in 2004.

David Gerson, a libertarian who unsuccessfully waged a primary against Kline in both 2012 and 2014.

http://atr.rollcall.com/minnesotas-john-kline-will-not-seek-eighth-term/

All seem to be "solid conservatives", and thus, may be - not the best candidates for this swing district. But, after all, there are almost no moderates left in Minnesota's Republican party..

That implies the incumbent was a moderate - John Kline had a 100% conservative record.

That implies nothing - Kline was surely a conservative. But he was a popular conservative and even he lost twice before winning. Popular conservative can win here, but i think a moderate would have at least some initial advantage in so swingy district. IMHO - districts from D+5 to R+5 are ideally suited for moderates of both parties, all other - for "ideologues".... Obviously, no one expect moderates to win in San Francisco or in North Texas.....

[Brewer]

Well then this one getting a lot more D in redistricting did kind of work out.

Oh this also means that I have a nearby race to follow and work on for 2016! I expected 2016 to be like 2014 with nothing worth working on since I don't see any of the Republican candidates winning Minnesota. Even though suburban campaigning isn't as fun.

For now I'd say this guy is the most likely DFL candidate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Atkins

Mike Obermueller (candidate from 2014) might run again too, he's a former State Rep from a very swingy district, although I'd hope we can do better than a one term former State Rep who last held office six years prior. But he's not a bad campaigner.

Dunno about the Republicans, but they have a lot of state legislators in the seat who are no doubt interested.

He seems like an alright candidate, though he might suffer from being dogged by his vote for the "bird breeding" bill...admittedly, however, I'm not too knowledgeable about just how much it hurt Obermueller or the kind of effect it would really have.

Jim Carlson seems like a good candidate, although his age might be a bit of a detriment. Are there any signs that Matt Little might consider jumping into the race?