By DEREK SULLIVAN
OWATONNA — Two current elected officials plan to spend Tuesday on the sidelines.
Neither current District 26 state Sen. Mike Parry (R-Waseca) nor District 26A state Rep. Kory Kath (DFL-Owatonna) sought re-election two years after each man won comfortably at the ballot box.
Kath told supporters on May 20 that he would not run for a third-term in order to spend more time with his young family. One month later, Kath was hired as interim assistant principal at Mankato East High School.
Kath likely would have been re-elected. During Minnesota’s redistricting, his district — 26A — remained mostly intact with the cities of Owatonna and Waseca and the communities in between, although it was renamed District 24A. In 2008, despite running in a district that had been held by Republicans for 20 years, Kath easily defeated Owatonna mayor Tom Kuntz by 2,817 votes (57 percent to 43 percent). Two years later, his margin of victory was greater when he defeated Dave Thul by 3,831 votes (62 percent to 38 percent). While Kath could have campaigned to stay in St. Paul and would have been favored for a third term, he has no regrets.
“After working with these kids for a couple of months, you can’t wipe the smile off of my face,” Kath said. “I’m having a great time, once again, connecting with kids, working with staff and faculty to do good things for school and the student body.”
Although he is not on the ballot, Kath, a former political science teacher, said he is still very intrigued by Election Day.
“I love watching the candidates present their themes and talk about how they’re going to solve problems,” Kath said. “I also like seeing what people are looking for. I find it very, very interesting to follow.”
Last spring, Kath said he contemplated running for either the District 24 Senate or District 24A House seat. He would eventually choose neither. When he passed on the Senate run, Vicki Jensen, a current Owatonna school board member, threw her hat into the ring and was quickly endorsed by District 24 Democrats. When Kath said he was also not seeking re-election for the House, longtime music teacher and National Guard member Craig Brenden (DFL-Waseca) filed and was endorsed.
Kath said he has spoken with both candidates and told them the residents of Waseca and Owatonna want legislators who will work for local residents and not further the ineffective gridlock. He said he has worked with both Jensen and Brenden, and they both understand the needs of the communities.
“I told them the biggest thing they can do is get out and talk with people, forge relationships with people in the community,” Kath said. “Let them know that you will work for them. If you engage people in a conversation, then you have done your job.
“Overall, what I have learned from the people of Owatonna and Waseca is that they want a candidate that will put community first. They want a candidate that will reach out to everyone in the community.”
Kath would not rule out another stab at a career in politics. He did say that regardless of his current position, he will find a way to have a say in Minnesota educational policy. He said he is pleased that he helped start the discussion on teacher and principal accountability in public schools. Kath also said he played a key role in bringing emergency aid to Steele County after the 2010 floods.
In February 2010, Parry defeated Jason John Engbrecht and Roy Srp to replace Dick Day (R-Owatonna) in the state Senate. In November 2010, Parry defeated Alex DeMarco by 2,444 votes.
Two years later, Parry said instead of campaigning in the final hours before Election Day, he will be serving pizzas with his son-in-law at the Waseca Godfather’s Pizza.
When it looked like no major Republicans would run against First District Congressman Tim Walz (DFL-Minn.), Parry decided against running for a second full term in the state Senate in hopes of earning the GOP nomination to take on Walz. On Aug. 14, former state Rep. Allen Quist (R-St. Peter) defeated Parry 54 percent to 46 percent in the Minnesota primary.
With Parry off the ballot, a new face emerged. Businessman Vern Swedin (R-Owatonna) will try and keep Parry’s district, now mostly included inside newly-created District 24, in Republican hands. One of the first people Swedin contracted when he considered a political career was Parry.
“(Swedin) called and asked for a meeting,” Parry said. “We met, and I told him the ins and outs.”
Parry called Swedin, “a techy guy,” who will be able to use technology to help move Minnesota forward.
“(Senate Republicans) have done a lot of work the last two years, including turning a deficit into a surplus, plus we have made a lot of changes in rules and regulation,” Parry said. “Vern will protect those changes and make the right decisions to move this state forward. He will help us control expenses. We have enough revenue. We just need to control expenses.”
Parry said he has had both Swedin and District 26A Republican candidate John Petersburg out to his home to talk policy. He has also put signs up for the two candidates with the hope that the Minnesota GOP will keep the majority in both the House and Senate.
“Watching from the sidelines has been interesting,” Parry said.
While in August, he suffered his second ballot box defeat in four years, Parry hasn’t ruled out another political campaign.
“I’m sure folks in Minnesota will see me again in two years,” he said.
Reach reporter Derek Sullivan at 444-2372, or follow him on Twitter @OPPSullivan
