Advertisement
That is one thing Minnesota’s candidates seemed to agree on as they scoured the state for votes in the final days before Tuesday’s election. Gov. Tim Pawlenty shook hands with shoppers at Midtown Foods on Saturday, his second visit to Winona this week. His DFL opponent, Mike Hatch, was here Thursday.
 |
U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, on a 22-city bus tour, plans to stop in Winona today for the second time in four days. Gutknecht’s opponent, Tim Walz, stumped at Winona State University on Sunday with a little help from his friend, radio host and comedian Al Franken.
Walz’s Winona stop was the fourth of the day, with earlier stops in Owatonna, Albert Lea and St. Charles. After Winona, it was onward to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.
“I can tell you right now we will win Tuesday,” Walz said.
Walz acknowledged that it was a close race and asked the crowd to do what they could to help sway undecided voters.
“You’re going to feel like you have a voice in Congress, and you will,” Walz said.
Franken was in Winona July 18 with Walz, although that time he spoke first.
“I was killing,” Franken said. “I was great. I thought this is just not fair to Tim. Then Tim comes out and blows me out of the water.”
Franken told the crowd there was no better candidate than Walz and that Walz would work for the people of Minnesota.
“We need to send a message to this administration. We need to send a message to the rest of the world that
the Americans are back,” Franken said.
Jeanette Karjala, a WSU professor in the college of education, has been working hard to spread Walz’s word. She’s volunteered at 23 parades, made countless phone calls and knocked on plenty of doors. Karjala says she’s never been this active in a campaign but believed in Walz strongly enough to get involved.
“He is going to work for the common person,” Karjala said. “He’s going to work for Americans who have been put off by all the decisions that have been made, especially in the last six years.”
She plans on continuing to make phone calls and knocking on doors right up to the election. On Tuesday, she’s going to camp out at DFL headquarters.
“If anybody needs a ride to the polls, I’ll be there with my car,” Karjala said.
Gutknecht’s campaign is doing all it can to drum up support as well.
“I honestly believe it’s just a matter of getting our message out,” said Bryan Anderson, a Gutknecht spokesperson.
Anderson said Gutknecht’s messages of smaller government, reduced taxes, anti-abortion and pro-traditional marriage are the values of the people of southern Minnesota.
The courting of votes by all candidates will continue right through Tuesday.
“There’s definitely adrenaline,” Anderson said. “It’s hard to sleep anyway because all you’re thinking about is what you can be doing. You might as well keep doing it.”
Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or 453-3523.
re: What dems are for: wrote on Nov 7, 2006 3:29 PM: