| Franken throws support behind DFL candidate |
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Posted: Monday, January 18, 2010 8:54 am
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By WENDY REUER
Special to the County News
OWATONNA — U.S. Senator Al Franken arrived in town Saturday morning with a special incentive for Jason Engbrecht and his campaign team.
Franken already offered his endorsement to the Democratic Minnesota District 26 candidate earlier this week, but Saturday he hand-delivered the reward for Engbrecht’s day of door-knocking: a Franni Franken apple pie.
Franni Franken became known as the “pie lady” after her apple pies began raising big money during fundraisers for charity and later Franken’s campaigns.
“It’s frustrating to me because I get to smell it (baking),” Franken said. “She’s a very good baker.”
Engbrecht said Saturday he and his campaign hoped to stop into about 3,000 homes in Steele County.
Engbrecht is a physics professor at St. Olaf College in Northfield and Faribault school board member. He said he plans to run his campaign in a traditional manner, making as many phone calls and knocking on as many doors as possible before the Jan. 26 special election which will fill the seat vacated by Dick Day in December.
Franken said he believes in Engbrecht as the right choice for District 26 because of his experience in education.
“Minnesota has always been a leader in education. Lately we’ve taken emphasis off that,” Franken said. “We need someone in St. Paul who is going to be fighting for it.”
Engbrecht is attracting followers from across the state as well.
Will Labovitch, of South St. Paul, decided to attend the volunteer effort which gathered at the Jensen Agency to begin the day of door-knocking.
Labovitch has been a DFL activist before, and said he is getting even more involved after what he believes has been mis-stepping of Minnesota Republican Party members.
Labovitch said he became concerned after Republicans nominated Mike Parry, a former Waseca city council member, over Owatonna mayor Tom Kuntz as the District 26 candidate.
“The party is going in the wrong direction,” Labovitch said.
Shortly after dark, organizer Emily Jensen said DFL volunteers had knocked on more than 2,100 doors throughout Owatonna.
Southeast Minnesota activist Jacob Grippen was the winner of the apple pie.
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