Christopher Truscott - A Complicating Factor for Elwyn Tinklenberg
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Christopher Truscott - A Complicating Factor for Elwyn Tinklenberg
DFLer Has Independence Party Endorsement,
But Bob Anderson Will Carry IP Banner in November
DFLer Elwyn Tinklenberg pulled off a nice political play when he won the Independence Party endorsement for his challenge to U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in the 6th Congressional District.
But the cross-endorsement plan has since hit a snag by the name of Bob Anderson, a dental technician and mental health advocate from Woodbury.
Anderson, who also sought the IP endorsement at the party's convention last month in Bloomington, filed for office Monday and after the Sept. 9 primary he'll be the party's nominee, rendering the Tinklenberg cross-endorsement as little more than a symbolic gesture.
While state law prohibits candidates from filing for office under multiple party labels, the IP endorsement and the possibility of having no third-party candidate to split the anti-incumbent vote was expected to give Tinklenberg a boost in his bid to unseat Bachmann, a Republican and former state senator from Stillwater.
In 2006, 23,557 voters cast ballots for IP candidate John Binkowski while Bachmann scored a 24,104-vote victory over DFLer Patty Wetterling.
Anderson, who admitted he'd probably support Bachmann over Tinklenberg if he wasn't in the race, said he's not looking to play the role of spoiler.
"I am not worried about tipping the election," he said. "I am giving the public what they wantan Independent candidate that will win."
In his speech to IP convention delegates last month, Anderson focused on mental health issues, but ran into opposition when he criticized "taking God out of education." Tinklenberg, a former Blaine mayor and transportation commissioner under IP Gov. Jesse Ventura, then cruised to the endorsement with support coming from party luminaries like Binkowski, IP founder and former U.S. Sen. Dean Barkley and Peter Hutchinson, the party's 2006 gubernatorial nominee.
Anna Richey, Tinklenberg's campaign manager, said Anderson's filing and status as eventual IP nominee is disappointing, but ultimately "doesn't change anything about how we proceed."
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