LOUREY CAMPAIGN RELEASES DELEGATE COUNT AND CHALLENGES THE ACCURACY OF THE NUMBERS RELEASED BY THE KELLEY CAMPAIGN

Numbers reveal a tight two person race between Mike Hatch and Senator Lourey

There have been many rumors swirling around in the political winds for the last few days about which campaign for Governor has the most accurate count on committed, identified delegates to the state endorsing convention. In fact, the Steve Kelley campaign recently released an email to supporters claiming to have secured a second place position in the overall delegate count based upon a particular calculation of delegates. As you might expect, our numbers are different -significantly different.

Clearly, the true test of accuracy will be the first ballot on June 10 in Rochester. However we strongly believe that our numbers based upon a sophisticated tracking system that only counts identified elected delegates are very accurate and, as a result, are a true reflection of current delegate support.
Senator Lourey at a DFL Crogressional Unit 4 Convention talking with Dane Smith.

Our Tracking System
The Lourey campaign team has the most experience in federal, state, and local elections of any of the gubernatorial campaigns. Our campaign team has put together a sophisticated tracking system to ensure that we are accurately representing the status of the campaign to Becky and her supporters. Our tracking system is based upon four interconnected sources of information:

1. Early voter identification: Through both paid and volunteer phone banks, the Lourey campaign developed a baseline of support for each candidate.
2. Direct contact: Campaign and volunteer staff attended every convention and tracked all sub-caucuses - candidate, issue and undeclared - and engaging in direct delegate contact. They tracked how sub-caucuses merged, and who were elected delegates. By comparing the results with voter identification calls, the Lourey campaign is able to identify potential delegate fluidity.
3. Direct phone contact: Senator Lourey, surrogates, volunteer supporters and campaign staff call delegates to confirm candidate preference. Calls are made and information entered into the database from over 10 locations around the state every night.
4. Secondary sources: Delegate lists are regularly cross checked against other candidate's reported donor and published supporter lists.

Delegate Snapshot
Any calculation of delegate support is like a poll. It is simply a snapshot of to whom the delegates are giving their support at that moment. As a result of our calculations, we believe the delegate count is as follows:


Why We Know the Kelley Campaign Numbers are Inaccurate.
It is obvious to most observers that the Kelley campaign is presenting their numbers to put their candidate in the best light in order to try to build momentum entering the convention. In their carefully worded email, the Kelley campaign qualifies its count by saying; "We are including in our 'committed delegates' count only those people who have been elected in a named sub-caucus, or who have expressed publicly their support for a particular candidate." Even a casual observer knows that this methodology will provide results that do not reliably compare campaigns.

Those of us who have been working on statewide races and have lived through a number of senate, county unit and state conventions can recognize the inexperience of the Kelley campaign staffers who do not have similar experience in counting delegates.

Senator Lourey speaking at McLoud County DFL Convention..


Flawed Methodology
We believe the Kelley campaign methodology is flawed, and therefore misleading, for the following reasons:

1. Beyond Named Subcaucuses: Simply counting delegates who have been elected in a named subcaucus does not capture all committed delegates. That calculation fails to include committed delegates in issue subcaucuses and subcaucuses called for a candidate in a different race who support a candidate in the governor's race.
2. Elections at Large: Not all county conventions subcaucused, yet they still elected delegates. For example, the Cook County convention did not subcaucus but elected three Lourey delegates, in Grant County two of the three delegates are committed to Senator Lourey. Leaving out conventions misses that Becky Lourey's sister and brother in law were elected at their county unit!
3. Assuming Support: Counting a person as a 'hard' delegate based upon a public declaration of support is a three fold mistake. First, it will always tilt the count toward the campaign collecting the data. Good campaigns want comparative data, which public declarations of support simply do not provide. Second, there are many reasons a campaign might be provided inaccurate information. Because of friendships or loyalties, the choice of the delegate is often kept private for good reason. Lastly, people change their minds. For example, in its recent email the Kelley campaign quotes Arlene Pierce of Lake of the Woods and identifies her as a Steve Kelley delegate. She is not. As of this morning, she is a committed Becky Lourey delegate.

Senator Lourey at DFL Congressional District 4 Conventionwith staff member Brenda Bell Brown..

Proper Focus
Everyone's numbers show one thing: there are a significant number of undecided State delegates. The race remains open, and the results of the convention are not determined. The race will not be won by manufacturing momentum with press releases. It will be determined by the 1442 delegates (1355.5 votes) who come to Rochester after a careful evaluation of the three candidates and make their choice.

Senator Becky Lourey believes that the DFL endorsement will be earned by the candidate with the strongest vision for Minnesota, the most experienced leadership on critical DFL issues and values, and the best chance of defeating Tim Pawlenty in November.

Senator Lourey believes that her 16 years of leadership on health care, peace, early childhood education and the environment make her the best choice to represent the DFL.

Her experience defeating incumbents, compelling personal story, and ability to connect with and motivate people across the state make her the best candidate to defeat Tim Pawlenty in November.

Her vision to guarantee universal health care by 2010 and energy independence by 2030, and of making Minnesota the best place in the nation to be a child will make her one of Minnesota's great Governors.

News from Minnesotans For Matt

Dear Friends,

I believe that Minnesota’s next Attorney General should do everything possible to keep Minnesota’s families safe. I am deeply honored to be endorsed by police, firefighter and nurses’ organizations, Minnesota’s frontline defenders.
I am pleased to have the endorsement of the Saint Paul Police Federation and Teamsters. They represent men and women who risk their lives to protect our families, homes and communities. After years of working closely with public safety officials, I know the concerns and challenges facing law enforcement officers. That is why, earlier this year, I sponsored and passed increased Police Bomb Squad funding, extending these critical public safety services across the state. As Attorney General, you can count on me to do everything possible to keep Minnesota’s families safe.

St Paul Fire Fighters I am equally gratified by the endorsement of firefighters and paramedics who protect the lives and property of Minnesota’s citizens. Minnesota Professional Firefighters, Duluth City Fire Fighters Association and the Saint Paul Firefighters, Local 21 understand that I will put public safety first.

The Minnesota Nurses Association represents thousands of dedicated registered nurses who ensure that Minnesotans enjoy high quality healthcare. Proud to have their endorsement, I will make sure Minnesotans have fair healthcare policy and I will aggressively work to ensure Minnesotans have access to affordable professional healthcare. For a full list of endorsements, please visit my website at www.entenza.org and follow the "Endorsements" link.

I am deeply committed to building a safe, secure Minnesota. I began as an Assistant Minnesota Attorney General, and continued as criminal prosecutor and State Representative protecting Minnesotan families. With practical experience and insight into Minnesota’s safety, I will get right to work. As the only candidate supported by police, firefighter and nurses organizations I will work with people who serve to protect, educate and secure all Minnesotans.

Please join me in our campaign to build a safe, secure Minnesota.

Sincerely,

Matt Entenza
Minnesotans For Matt

Christian Sande for Secretary of State Newsletter

The Minnesota Teamsters Joint Council 32 DRIVE has endorsed Christian Sande for Secretary of State after screening both candidates for the DFL endorsement.

The Teamsters Joint Council 32 represents 19 local unions with a membership of over 65,000 throughout Minnesota and the Midwest. Joint Council 32 DRIVE (Democratic Republican Independent Voter Education) endorses candidates and educates, registers and helps voters in each election.

“I am thrilled to have the endorsement of the Teamsters Joint Council 32 DRIVE. Their work in getting out the vote and educating working families about our democracy has been just great and led to some incredible results,” said Sande. “I am proud to stand with them. As their endorsed candidate for Secretary of State, I will work with them to ensure that everyone’s right to vote is protected.”

We continue to work alongside Teamsters in their commitment to protecting worker’s rights. Teamsters Local 974 is currently on strike against 41 Twin Cities metro area dealerships. In a show of solidarity, Christian regularly walks the line with these workers.

“I stand with all organized labor, and especially right now with our brothers and sisters in Local 974 who have walked off their jobs to protect their rights. I have never crossed a picked line and I never will,” Sande said.

The Minnesota Teamsters Joint Council 32 Drive along with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) represents approximately 1.4 million employees of the transportation, freight-related and other service industries nationally and internationally.


Christian Congratulates Bill Finney…

…on his Endorsement for Ramsey County Sheriff
Chief Finney was one of the first leaders to recognize Christian’s extensive experience, qualifications and passion for the Secretary of State’s job. He jumped on board with us, and we were thrilled to see Chief Finney get the DFL endorsement for Ramsey County Sheriff. We look forward to campaigning side by side in our combined goal of protecting people’s rights.

“Like the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office, qualifications and experience matter for the Minnesota Secretary of State. Christian Sande is clearly the most qualified and experienced person for this office and I am proud to support him.”

Chief Bill Finney
Former Police Chief of St. Paul, MN

The DFL State Convention is just around the corner…

…and we are in great position to win the endorsement! In our last newsletter, we told you that our delegate count had us winning over our closest opponent almost 2-1. It is now two weeks later, and we’re happy to say that our lead is holding strong as Christian continues to contact State Delegates and Alternates. We have the wind at our backs, and we are receiving new support every day from delegates, alternates, DFL leaders, and state and local officials.

Just last weekend, we put a few more hundred miles on the campaign car when we traveled from Minneapolis to Duluth to Hibbing to Bemidji and then back to Minneapolis. We spoke with many delegates and alternates who believe that Christian’s background and experience make him the ideal candidate to take on Mary Kiffmeyer in the fall.

We have the momentum. But there are still a lot of undecided delegates and alternates out there, and we need your help in bringing them into our camp. To find out how you can help, please email Kelly at kelly@christiansande.org.


Donating your time is the greatest gift of all

Grassroots campaigning is all about people power, and this campaign is no different. Our campaign will need the help of every one of you in order to win this race. For more information contact Kelly at kelly@christiansande.org, or go to our website and sign up!

The raising of the funds

Our fundraising is going very well. We’re getting contributions everyday from all sorts of people across the state. We’re well on our way to reaching our goal of raising our spending limit by the DFL endorsement, but could use your help to get there.

If you haven’t taken advantage of the Minnesota Political Campaign Refund program, please do so today. You can contribute up to $50 per individual and $100 per couple, and get your money back in roughly two or three weeks, but you can only do it once. Please consider donating to our campaign if you haven't already done so. This year, you can contribute up to $500 per person to our campaign.

Please send donations, along with your name, full address, phone, email, employer, and title/occupation to:

Christian Sande SOS Committee
3010 Hennepin Avenue South, Suite 232
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Lourey Questions Pioneer Press Deal

STATEMENT

St. Paul Newspaper Deal Doesn’t Pass the Smell Test

Candidate for Governor Becky Lourey is calling for an immediate anti-trust investigation into the apparently non-competitive deal between Star Tribune owner McClatchy Co. and Denver-based MediaNews Group for the purchase of the Pioneer Press and three other major daily newspapers. She joins newspaper union leaders in California who are calling for government regulatory intervention investigating the proposed deal.

“We have no evidence that this was a competitive arms-length transaction entered into with the best interests of preserving the high quality of Minnesota journalism,” Lourey said. “We know of at least two serious, well-funded potential bidders who were willing to participate in an open, competitive process, but they were intentionally kept out. An immediate anti-trust investigation is warranted.

“In fact, the appropriate authorities should have joined me in raising their concerns well before this questionable deal was struck. This is another instance when the public interest should have been held high above corporate interests much sooner -- before the damage was done.”

Lourey originally expressed her concerns about the pending resale of the Pioneer Press on April 5 at www.beckylourey.org/media/statements.html, shortly after the McClatchy-Knight Ridder transaction was announced.

Senator Becky Lourey, a nationally recognized health care public policy expert, resides in Kerrick in east-central Minnesota. She has 16 years of legislative experience and currently serves as chair of the Minnesota Senate Health and Family Security Committee.

Congressman Jim Oberstar Endorses Mark Ritchie to be Minnesota's Next Secretary of State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 24, 2006
Contact: Sandra Boone 612-275-1761

St. Paul, MN - Congressman Jim Oberstar endorsed Mark Ritchie to be Minnesota's next Secretary of State today.

"Mark Ritchie is dedicated to the proposition that all eligible voters go to the polls and cast their ballots," Oberstar said. "With Mark as our Secretary of State, Minnesota's voter turnout will rise to the high levels that Northeastern Minnesota consistently achieves."

Congressman Oberstar joins over 70 state and local elected officials and DFL party leaders, many key labor unions, civic engagement and community groups and thousands of Minnesotans who have already publicly pledged their support of Ritchie.

"I am honored by Congressman Oberstar's endorsement. As Minnesota's longest serving member of the US House of Representatives, Oberstar has been a wonderful public servant and friend of Minnesota," Ritchie said.

Oberstar's endorsement adds to Ritchie's momentum that has been building since before he won a decisive victory in the statewide DFL Caucus Night Straw Poll in early March. Since the straw poll Ritchie has attended over 50 DFL conventions and has built a strong lead among the DFL delegates who will decide the party's endorsement at the June convention.

"I look forward to winning the DFL endorsement at the convention in June. I have been traveling across the state talking to voters and building the type of grassroots campaign which will help me win in November," Ritchie said. "Everywhere I travel, people understand the need for change in the Secretary of State's Office. People understand that we need 21st Century leadership that champions our democratic rights and responsibilities."

Sen. Bachmann Continues to "Sand off the Truth"

Lie Number 1 -- "I was the victim of DFL redistricting"

Michele Bachmann recently mailed a 20 minute video to delegates in the 6th Congressional District and in the video she described her 2002 match-up with DFL Senator Jane Krentz.

"I suppose it was a back-handed compliment to be the number one target of the Minnesota Senate Democrats.

"They redistricted me out of my Senate seat so I had to run in a completely new district against a 10 year DFL female incumbent."

It was the court, not the Democrats, who drew the map for the 2002 elections. They created a new Senate district for Senator Bachmann with a higher GOP index than her old district and paired her with a DFL Senator. She went on to under-perform the rest of the GOP ticket by more than 10 percentage points.

There is no basis for truth in this statement. It is a lie.

Lie Number 2 -- "I've run in heavily Democrat areas"

In a recent interview with Congressional Quarterly, Michele Bachmann discussed her electability:

"I'’ve run in Democrat areas and I've won by a significant margin, and I've proved that, even though I'm a very vocal conservative, I can win even in heavily Democrat areas. And get a lot of crossover vote from Democrats."

Michele Bachmann has run for the State Senate twice in two different districts, both with a strong GOP index. In 2000, every single Republican candidate on the ballot won in her Senate district. In 2002, while she underperformed the GOP ticket by 10 points, Governor Pawlenty lost only one precinct in her Senate District, and he was running in a three way race!

Lie Number 3 -- "Marcus and I will soon be empty nesters"

In her speech to the delegates at the Wright County Convention on Saturday, Michele Bachmann said she and her husband look forward to being "empty nesters" soon.

The Bachmann's have three young daughters, ages 11, 13 and 15 at home. Unless they are planning to send their children to boarding school, the Bachmanns will not have an "empty nest" for over seven years.


Thank You

A special thank you to all of our supporters and volunteers. Because of you, we have great activist support in every part of the Sixth Congressional District. As we approach the 6th District Convention, it will be your enthusiastic support for Phil and his rock-solid, consistent record that will make the convention a tremendous success for the Krinkie Campaign.

And thank you to all of you for your interest in the Krinkie for Congress campaign. Please forward our e-Update to your email address books and visit www.krinkieforcongress.com often.

Jeffers Makes It Official: Will Seek GOP Endorsement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Sue Jeffers for Governor > People Before Politics
P.O. Box 120015
New Brighton, MN 55112
651-636-6355
info@suejeffers.org
http://www.suejeffers.org

Jeffers Makes It Official: Will Seek GOP Endorsement

St. Paul, MN – April 25, 2006 – Sue Jeffers will make an official announcement, Thursday, April 27 at 12:00 o'clock noon that she will seek the Republican Party endorsement for governor. The announcement will be held in the Rotunda of the State Capitol Building. Voters of all parties are invited to join Sue in this effort to make People Before Politics a reality.

Although Jeffers has not officially accepted the Libertarian Party endorsement, she is seeking support from various parties, in order to win this election. Since no one is challenging Tim Pawlenty from within the GOP, Jeffers had no other choice but to enter the race.

Sue believes the Republican party no longer represents the principles it once stood for – freedom and personal rights, smaller, affordable, and effective government.

Jeffers, who worked on the Pawlenty campaign in 2002, said "Take a look at the voting records for our elected officials and ask yourself if it sounds like the Republican platform? Apparently, anyone is welcome to run as a Republican unless you are Sue Jeffers and want to challenge Tim Pawlenty's record."

"The Republican leadership thought I could run for every other office as a Republican, just not governor. Now they want to play insider games, and try to change the rules on a whim, to prevent a new voice from being heard. Thankfully those days are over, and the general public and Republican delegates will not tolerate it."

Four years with a Republican governor, Republican House, and a split Senate have not changed Minnesota for the better. Instead, Minnesota is still on the top ten list for one of the highest taxed states in the nation. "I know we can do better. We deserve better."

Re: Whose Side is Tim Pawlenty On?

April 25, 2006

Dear Fellow Minnesotan:

This campaign is about Minnesota’s future.

On Tim Pawlenty’s watch, health insurance premiums have skyrocketed by 50 percent.

College tuition has skyrocketed by 50 percent.

Minnesota is 12th from the bottom in highest class sizes.

And 5th from the bottom in classroom technology.

And our highways are clogged with traffic jams.

But Tim Pawlenty did have some “firsts.” He was the first governor to cut K-12 education funding, and the first governor to shut down the Minnesota government.

We need a Governor who will work on our future. Not just his own.

Minnesota’s future is in your hands. It has been 20 years since we’ve elected a Democrat as governor. Please help me position our state for the future by making an online donation today to our campaign.

As Governor, I will fight day and night for Minnesota’s values. I ask for your support, and I thank you for any help you can give.

Sincerely,


Mike Hatch

JOHNSON FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL E-MAIL UPDATE - April 24, 2006

Greetings from the Johnson for Attorney General campaign. We have been very busy since the last time you heard from us. With session getting ever closer to its end, we are getting things ramped up for the summer.

We have been spending our weekends traveling around the state visiting the local BPOU Conventions. Attendance has been great, and our message has been very well received. This was the last weekend of BPOU conventions, and now we will be moving on to the Congressional District conventions, followed by the state convention on June 1-3.

I have also been traveling outside of MN. Two weeks ago I was in Washington, D.C. testifying before the U.S. Senate on my attempt to pass a MN law restricting children's access to adult video games without running afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

I have also been working very diligently at the Capitol to get fundamental eminent domain reform passed. We passed my reform bill off the House floor last week. Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) passed a similar bill in the Senate. We are now working out the differences in Conference Committee and should have a final vote within the next 10 days. The Eminent Domain legislation has been hard work, but the state of MN and its citizens will be much better off when it is passed.

With the close of session nearing, we are planning to move campaign headquarters to the west-metro. If anyone knows of office space that may be available, please let us know.

Also we will have many volunteer opportunities that arise throughout the summer. We will need help at parades and other events. Another way to get involved is by joining in on the letter to the editor campaign. All it takes is to write a letter on my behalf and send it to your local paper. This will be an important aspect of the campaign in the coming weeks! If you're willing to volunteer, please let us know.

Fundraising is also a crucial part of the campaign, as my opponent has millions of his own money to spend. If you would be willing to host a small home or business fundraiser, please let us know.

Thank you again for your interest in the campaign. We hope to hear from and see you all on the campaign trail soon.

Sincerely,



Jeff Johnson

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