Republicans Like Their Chances After Redistricting

The redistricting process brought some significant changes for Inver Grove Heights. The town will now be part of Lakeville Republican John Kline’s Congressional District 2. Democratic State Rep. Joe Atkins lost some territory up North, but gains a Westward swathe or real estate.

“I think it’s going to wind up beneficial for us”, said local Republican Chairman Mark Westpfahl about his party’s chances against Atkins. “We lose a couple of South St. Paul precincts that tended traditionally to vote a little bit more DFL, and we’re picking up a couple of precincts over in Eagan and Mendota Heights that traditionally have voted a little bit more Republican.”

The Republican ticket for the new District 52B will likely be cemented in late April or early May, said Westpfahl. A few people have told him they are interested in challenging Atkins, but he declined to share names, since none of the potential candidates have made their intentions official.

“With that said, I’ve heard rumors that Terry Pearson is still considering”, said Westpfahl. Pearson lost to Atkins in 2010.

Westpfahl has also spoken with Donald Lee, who ran in the old District 39A, but has now been redistricted into Atkins’ District 52B. “He’s contacted me to see who else might be considering, but has not officially said that he will be a candidate either.”

That is, if Atkins decides to stay. As Patch reported last week, he has been fielding calls from supporters who want him to run for Congress.

“I’d love to see him run,” said Westpfahl. “Obviously I’d love to see that seat open up to give us a better chance to win the seat.”

If Atkins decides to stay put, Republicans would have a hard time beating him, recognized Westpfahl. The first thing they would have to deal with, is his deeper war chest.

“I think it’s going to be more competitive than it’s ever been, but that doesn’t necessarily say all that much,” said Westpfahl. “Joe completely has the upper hand. He could blanket Inver Grove Heights and the Eagan and Mendota Heights precincts with literature on a constant basis. Our biggest challenge is going to be going up against the machine that Joe’s already created.”

On the other hand, Congressional District 2 should be safe for Republicans, he said.

“Congressman Kline is picking up a little bit more of South St. Paul and West St. Paul, so he’s going to have a little bit more of a challenge up North, but he’s also picking up some areas in the Southeast that I think are a little bit more suitable to him. So I kind of see it as a wash. I don’t think he got helped too much, I don’t think he got hurt too much.”

In any case, Westpfahl said he is curious to see who is going to go up against Kline on the DFL side. “I do think he numbers would be a lot closer if Rep. Atkins chose to run. I don’t think he would beat Kline, but I think he’d put on one of the strongest showings the DFL has had in a very long time.”

Last week, State Sen. Joe Metzen indicated that he is not very worried about his own largely unchanged district. But Westpfahl said he should not get too comfortable.

“At this point, I’d be a little bit nervous making that statement, if I were him. He’s been in for a long time, he’s got that going for him. But the last cycle he only won with about 53-54 percent of the vote." (Metzen in fact beat Republican Robb Soleim by 56.27% to 43.21%)

"It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this year,", said Westpfahl. "People are upset with their local elected officials.”

Westpfahl noted that he regrets the increasingly toxic atmosphere of local Minnesota politics – and the nation’s as a whole. People should get away from the notion that the other side is evil, he said.  “They’re not. They’re people like you or me, who are trying to do what’s best for our community, for our state, for the country. We just have different ideas for what’s best.”