Cross-posted from
MN Campaign Report
It's one thing to talk with candidates who are running against entrenched incumbents, attempting to change the status quo. It's another thing to speak with a candidate who has a victory in a special election and a legislative session under her belt. Nevertheless, that's what I did on Wednesday afternoon with Terri Bonoff, State Senator in District 43 (Minnetonka and Plymouth).
Terri Bonoff grew up in Edina, and later attended Clark University in Worcester, MA. After college she returned home, and forged a career for herself in business. She decided to resign in 1999 to be at home with her four children, and became deeply involved in the community, eventually becoming President of the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition, a guide at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the President of Babe Ruth Baseball in Hopkins/Minnetonka.
She decided to run for the State Senate in 2005, and informed incumbent David Gaither of her decision. She somewhat jokingly told Gaither that he would be a difficult opponent, and she wished he would take another position. She got her wish when Tim Pawlenty brought Gaither on to his staff, opening the Senate seat to a special election. In a low-turnout race against Plymouth Mayor Judy Johnson, Bonoff prevailed by a 55-45 margin - and Johnson is back for the general election this year as well. Bonoff's slogan, which remains in this year's general election, was "Uniting the Middle," an expression of Bonoff's belief that the majority of voters are disenfranchised by both the agendas of the political extremes.
In the 2006 Session, the newly-minted Senator went right to work as a member of the K-12 Education and Transportation committees. She spoke strongly about her efforts to reach across the aisle, saying "every single bill I did had at least one Republican co-author, and I'm really proud of that." She called the restoration of funding to Early Childhood Family Education programs her biggest accomplisment in her first session.
Some say that elected officials never really stop campaigning, and I expected that an official in Bonoff's position would be especially prone to this proverb, given the proximity of her 2005 victory and the 2006 general elections. But she turns this conventional wisdom on its head: "I really stopped campaigning once we were in session. I wanted to put on my "Senator hat" and really immerse myself in the issues and the conduct of government." This campaign, however, has been a new creature for the incumbent candidate. A two-month campaign last time meant things were rushed - this time, says Bonoff, she's had time to raise the money she needs early, and spend the final weeks knocking on thousands of doors across the district.
When the story of anonymous attack flyers broke last week, I asked the Senator about them, and she made it very clear that she and her opponent had open lines of communication, and stood together in condemning the flyers. But in contrasting herself and her opponent, Bonoff is clear and unequivocal: "The biggest difference between me and Judy is on the social issues. I'm pro-choice, she's not. I'm firmly against Intelligent Design in the schools, and her position has evolved somewhat. I'm opposed to the Bachmann amendment, Judy used to for it and now is somewhat mixed." Bonoff calls herself a fiscal conservative, bucking the DFL line on fiscal issues like the Senate tax bill and the Twins Stadium: "I think the Stadium is very important for the community...it will provide immediate revitalization to the downtown area, clean up crime, and create jobs."
But even as an incumbent "immersed" in the issues, she's quite down-to-earth. She greets everyone with a smile, and made a few minutes before we spoke for a constituent who recognized her and wanted to discuss health care issues. Her answer to the MNCR-standard off-beat question about favorite leisure activities was quick and emphatic - "easy - hanging out with my kids." Working hard at fundraising and speechmaking is one thing, but Terri Bonoff has also worked hard to show voters and constituents that she's not just a representative of the community, but a member of and contributor to that community. In two weeks, we'll see if her hard work has paid off.