Posted: 5/15/02

Luther will leave 6th District

T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

Congressman Bill Luther, a Stillwater Democrat, will likely face former U.S. Marine Corps officer John Kline for the third time after deciding to switch from the 6th Congressional District to 2nd.

ìThe decision to run in the new 2nd District was a very tough one,î Luther said, speaking at a Capitol press conference on Monday.

Luther, who has represented the Forest Lake area and the old 6th District for eight years, saw the district lose its southern metro half to redistricting and expanded to the west.

The new 2nd District contains about 40 percent of the households in the old 6th District ó the bulk of Dakota County falls within the redrawn 2nd.

Luther called the two districts very similar. ìUnder the system I had to make a choice: one side or the other,î he said.

He ruled out running in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Congressional district, which gobbled up about 22 percent of the old 6th, because incumbents Jim Ramstad, Betty McCollum, and Martin Sabo are all friends, Luther explained.

Since the death four months ago of his wife Darlene Luther, a former member of the Minnesota House, and since his daughter Alicia is at college, the family focus in now on his son Alex, Luther said.

Luther said his sonís apartment is close to the 2nd District.

ìBy running there I will be as close as possible to Al and will be there for him as I campaign for and represent the various parts of the new district,î Luther said.

A Kline rematch

But to represent the new 2nd District Luther must first beat Kline.

Two years ago, Luther managed to eke out a victory over Kline by just 5440 votes ó a conservative third party candidate garnered some 8500 votes in the race.

Kline announced his candidacy upon the release of court-ordered redistricting back in March. Kline, of Lakeville, expressed satisfaction with outcome of redistricting.

He lives in one of the fastest growing cities in the state. Luther has not yet taken residence in the 2nd. By federal law, Luther would not be required to live in the district.

Luther had some sharp words for his opponent, charging that Kline refused to debate two years ago and also criticized a Kline campaign piece.

ìI think heíll have a hard time making a case why a person who just moved to Minnesota, whoís never been elected to anything, who ran the kind of campaign he ran last time, should even be considered by voters,î Luther said.

But Bill Walsh, Republican Party spokesman, said Kline will run a strong, straight up campaign.

ìJust his resume after Sept. 11 ó his military background ó makes him simply a stronger candidate,î Walsh said.

No retirement

At the press conference, Luther said retirement was ìdefinitely a considerationî he contemplated in making his decision.

But he also explained that Congress is seniority driven and that he now sits on an important committee and looks to the entire country in making decisions.

Second Congressional District Rep. Mark Kennedy, a first-term Republican, recently decided to run in the redistricted 6th District after being redistricted out of his current district.

Kennedy is expected to face Democrat Janet Robert in the fall election. Robert, an attorney in Stillwater, is a former Oak Parks Heights City Council member.

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