Minneapolis Voters Make Ellison Congress’ First Muslim Member

Minneapolis Voters Make Ellison Congress’ First Muslim Member


http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20060913/pl_cq_politics/minneapolisvotersmakeellisoncongressfirstmuslimmember

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CQPolitics.com

Minneapolis Voters Make Ellison Congress’ First Muslim Member

By Libby George Wed Sep 13, 1:54 AM ET

Democrats in Minnesota’s strongly Democratic 5th Congressional District put history into motion by nominating state Rep. Keith Ellison in Tuesday’s primary — all but guaranteeing that he will become the first Muslim ever elected to Congress.

Ellison’s virtually certain victory in November also would make him the first African-American to represent Minnesota in the 110th Congress, and one of a small handful of black lawmakers who represent districts with sizable white majorities. The 5th, which includes all of Minneapolis and much of its suburbs, has a population that is about 70 percent non-Hispanic white.

The winner of the November election will succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Martin Olav Sabo (news, bio, voting record), who never had a close race over his 14-term career. Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry took 71 percent of the 5th District vote in 2004.

Ellison earned his primary victory in a hard-fought campaign against two other leading contenders — longtime Sabo aide Mike Erlandson, a former state Democratic Party chairman, and former state Sen. Ember Reichgott Junge.

With all precincts reporting in unofficial returns, Ellison took 41 percent to 31 percent for Erlandson and 21 percent for Junge. Minneapolis City Councilman Paul Ostrow ended the race with 5 percent.

Business consultant Alan Fine was unopposed to stage the Republicans’ longshot bid for the seat.

Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee and Green Party member Jay Pond also will contend for the seat.

Ellison was established as the front-runner for the Democratic nod in May, when he received the official endorsement of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party (as the Democrats have long been known in Minnesota). His bid to make racial political history in the state also drew him an endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus.

Sabo, though, stood by Erlandson, who chose to pursue the primary bid despite losing the party endorsement vote...

...Ellison’s charm and progressive politics are what likely pulled him through, experts say. The 43-year-old state lawmaker has been likened to progressive political icon Paul Wellstone — a comparison that can go a long way in a state that is still mourning the late senator, who died in a plane crash late in his 2002 bid for re-election.

“The margin speaks to the strength of progressives and grass-roots in that district,” said Blois Olson, co-publisher of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota. “He’s been compared to Paul Wellstone . . . I think it was a factor, and I think the people could relate to that.”

Ellison also pushed hard in the final hours of his campaign, meeting with as many voters as possible to spread a message that included advocating withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, universal health care coverage and support for labor issues.

Throughout the race, Ellison focused on those subjects, eschewing a race-based campaign, and vigorously seeking face time with as many voters of all backgrounds as possible.

The tactic clearly worked: more voters showed up for this primary than any other primary in state history. “This is exactly how we planned it,” said Ellison campaign spokesman Dave Colling.

Colling contended the real reason Ellison is able to elicit so much enthusiasm is his willingness to stand up to authority, a trait he said President Bush will soon encounter. “I watched him do it in the state House, and I can’t wait to watch him do it in Congress,” Colling said...