The Wake

You may not have heard the names John James, Jeff Johnson, or Lori Swanson, but come No. 7 you will have to decide which of these three you want to be Minnesota’s next attorney general. This year the “AG” race was noted early on for its drama, following Matt Entenza’s withdrawal and subsequent scramble by DFLer’s to replace him. The response of the candidates has been to keep low profiles. Swanson won the DFL endorsement in the Sept. 12 primary and faces Republican nominee Johnson and Independence Party candidate James in the race.

Entenza’s withdrawal was certainly the most high-profile event in the attorney general race. He withdrew amidst complaints from Republicans that he violated ethics laws after failing to report expenses paid to investigate the current attorney general, Mike Hatch, who is now the DFL’s nominee for governor. Democrats criticized Entenza for what many deemed an intra-party attack. Entenza dropped out in mid-July.

Unfortunately for James, Johnson and Swanson, they’ve been able to generate little press and have had trouble getting their messages out since then. A recent Minnesota Public Radio poll showed that one week after the September primary, large majorities of those surveyed didn’t recognize the names of the candidates. Forty-nine percent didn’t recognize Swanson’s name and 56 percent didn’t know Johnson, while James was unknown to 72 percent. James admits that it’s going to be a tough race. “Basically nobody knows who any of us are,” he says. “I guess we [the Independence Party] start from further behind because we don’t have a great big activist base like the Republicans and the DFLer’s do.”

All three of the candidates, however, think they have time enough to reach voters and win. “I think people make up their minds right at the end,” Johnson told Minnesota Public Radio. “We’ll continue to work hard, continue to travel and get a message out about public safety and keeping kids safe. And also hopefully we’ll have raised enough money to get on TV for the last couple weeks before Election Day.”

“We’ve got a real opportunity to get the word out on my candidacy,” James told MPR. “We’re really just starting to ramp up our marketing. So, I think there’s a lot that’s hopeful here.”

Swanson’s campaign staff explained that her name might still be relatively unknown because she was a latecomer who didn’t get into the race until July, when the Entenza debacle began. Swanson planed to “get out there and meet as many Minnesotans as possible,” Ben Wogsland of Swanson’s campaign says. “Once people get a chance to hear what Lori’s running on, I think they’ll be impressed.”

The problem may lie with the fact that the role of the attorney general isn’t widely understood. The AG is the chief legal officer in Minnesota and the office represents the state in court. The attorney general’s office usually focuses on “consumer protection, antitrust enforcement and charities’ regulation,” according to the Minnesota Office of Attorney General website. Many state agencies turn to the attorney general’s office for legal advice as well.

But, the AG also often acts as counsel to the governor, which is how James would run his office if elected, he says. He wants the Independence Party to lead Minnesota in a joint effort between elected officials. James says he wants to provide support to education, environmental initiatives, a balanced budget and public safety programs. “There is an unconscionable vacuum of state-level leadership on public safety,” he says.

Wogsland says that the attorney general’s role “boils down to being a watchdog for the people of Minnesota.” He says Swanson wants to focus on corporate accountability, healthcare reform and public safety. “She [Swanson] has a really strong sense of justice and wants to fight for ordinary Minnesotans,” Wogsland says. “She’s running on her track record as solicitor general.”

Johnson, according to his website, includes child safety, consumer protection and job growth in his top priorities. “No one who illegally preys on consumers should be allowed to stay in business in Minnesota, and under my watch, there will be no place to hide,” he says online.

Each of the three candidates is very worried about methamphetamine use as well. “Obviously meth is a plague right now. We’ve got to fight it,” James says. He would focus on providing better education on the drug to more Minnesotans to combat what some consider an epidemic. “Clearly, one [way to fight meth] is relentless education,” he says. Swanson plans to crack down on meth dealers, according to her website.

In Johnson’s “Meth-Free Minnesota Plan,” he says that “meth is a scourge in Minnesota, and although we’re making some headway, it is not a problem that can be addressed with a halfhearted plan. It needs to be the top priority of the chief lawyer in the state if we really want Minnesota to become meth-free someday.” Johnson’s plan outlines two phases to fight meth. The first steps would increase penalties for dealing the drug and crack down on meth labs. In the second phase, Johnson would create an “education, treatment and enforcement campaign in collaboration with surrounding states.”

Swanson and James have a common message for students. They want students to know that they’re aware of the hardships students face. “Huge tuition hikes are… prohibitive,” Wogsland says. Swanson would “like to see that reigned in.” And James agreed, saying “we’ve got to deal with the affordability issue.” Both candidates want to encourage students to get involved in politics. “Don’t write off this election,” James says. “Vote your hopes, not your fears.”