Eagan's Hansen No Longer a Candidate Following Redistricting

The redistricting process has claimed at least one Eagan political candidate.

Eagan City Councilor Gary Hansen told Patch on Wednesday that he was withdrawing from the race for what is now House District 51A and has no plans to campaign in another House district this year.

Hansen lives east of I-35E, in the newly-christened House District 51B. By state law, candidates running for a House of Representatives seat must live in the district they represent. Hansen was banking on redistricting moving him into the 'A' side of the district, where he planned to campaign against Republican incumbent Rep. Diane Anderson and fellow DFL candidates Sandy Masin and Gary Meyer.

But that didn't happen.

A special judicial panel released the redistricting maps for Minnesota on Tuesday, and Hansen's home remained in the 'B' side, where DFL challenger Laurie Halverson is running against incumbent Rep. Doug Wardlow.

"I believe that the party has an excellent candidate on the 'B' side, and I have no intent of challenging her for that seat," Hansen said on Wednesday.

Hansen acknowledged that his candidacy on the 'A' side of the district was a calculated risk, and said he was in the process of notifying his supporters that he had withdrawn.

“I’ve said all long that my candidacy on the 'A' side was subject to redistricting," Hansen said. “I plan to keep my campaign committee open, and we’ll see what happens over the next couple of years."

Hansen's Democratic opponents said Wednesday that his withdrawal from the race would make seeking the DFL endorsement on March 24 easier.

Both Masin and Meyer will also have their plates full campaigning among delegates in the new Burnsville precincts that have been added to what is now House District 51A. Rep. Diane Anderson wasn't immediately available for comment.

Masin said getting out and becoming familiar with the newly-added precincts is "critical" to her campaign for the endorsement. The political impact of the new Burnsville precincts may be smaller than expected, she said, because of the limited number of people living in what is predominantly a commercial and industrial area.

Both also say they're pleased with the new 51A boundaries.

“I think it will fun bunch of months," said Meyer, in reference to the coming campaign season.