After the 2000 census and redistricting of legislative seats, Northeastern Minnesota has lost one Minnesota House seat. In contrast, the Rochester-Twin Cities-St. Cloud corridor has gained seats. To protect our region's interests and educate other legislators about the unique economy, Lake Superior-Iron Range geography and demography of the Northland, we need legislators who can be persuasive, diplomatic and recognized for leadership potential.
DISTRICT 7A: TOM HUNTLEY

This race features two gentlemen who have run a civil campaign on issues: incumbent Tom Huntley, a DFLer, and challenger Harry Welty, a Republican.

While we believe Huntley's 10-year seniority makes him a better choice, Welty has brought significant issues to the table and done a great service in educating the public about education finance issues as the state faces a $3.2 billion hole in the budget. Welty is serving his second term on the School Board.

First elected to the Minnesota House in 1992, Huntley served on the City Council and is an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth School of Medicine. He has focused on health care and education issues. His persistence in fighting to make sure UMD is a strong, research-based institution should pay off for the region long-term.

Huntley believes that the government's role in economic development should focus on producing a highly trained work force and supporting research to produce innovations.

In the important budget debate, Huntley's top priority will be to "do no harm" to the K-12 and higher education systems. He quotes historian Arnold Toynbee, "The urgent is so often the enemy of the important," to warn that as we attempt a short-term budget fix in 2003, let's not act in ways that prevent our achieving long-term goals.

Welty points out that in the 1970s, at the time of the so-called "Minnesota Miracle," the state was ranked fifth in per capita spending on education; today, it's ranked 17th. He believes the state has been resting on its laurels. The reality, he notes, is Minnesota has become a middle-tier state in public support for education. He sees himself as being a part of trying to restore a bipartisan consensus on education to overcome what has increasingly become a partisan division.

Welty also deserves praise for doing yeoman service for his political party. He has tried, almost singlehandedly, to restore a moderate Republican Party in Duluth in the tradition of Al France, Ben Boo and Jim Gustafson. It has been a struggle, and he has a long way to go.

Huntley is a stable force in the Northeastern Minnesota House delegation, a person who takes in the long view on economic development issues. Welty has been given to occasional public outbursts at School Board meetings.

Huntley is a better choice.