Bakken and wife will vie for same House seat
Posted: 8/2/02
by Erin Johnson
Staff Writer
As if politics in Eagan werenít heated enough, along comes the ultimate matchup: husband vs. wife.
Eagan City Council Member Paul Bakken and his wife, Alison Bakken, a manager at Eagan-based West Group, will both seek the same seat in the House this fall, each with a different party.
In the final hours of filing for this yearís election, Alison put her name in as a Republican candidate for the District 38B seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, the very seat being sought by her husband, who will run as an Independence Party candidate. District 38B represents the eastern and southern portions of Eagan.
Bakken recently left the Republican Party and joined the Independence Party after losing the Republican nomination to relative unknown Lynn Wardlow. Bakken has made it clear that there is little love lost between him and his former party, prompting some to question whether Alisonís last-minute candidacy is meant as a spoiler. By filing as a Republican, Alison forces a primary. Before she filed, Wardlow was the sole candidate.
But the couple insist that their interest in the office is genuine and the accusations of a ploy are unfounded.
ìWeíre both interested in participating in the process and getting the job done,î Paul said. ìWeíre working on this together. The effort here is to bring Minnesota politics, and local politics in particular, back to the center.î
Both said they are unhappy with the current course of the Republican Party, but each has chosen a different route to help bring about change.
ìPaul was fed up and he chose to leave, and I fully support that. And he was really up front about it. I just chose to say Iím not ready to make that move yet, but Iím fed up, too,î she said. ìPaul has taken his track; heís joined the Independence Party because he believes they can create a more centrist party. But I think itís important for us to work within the two major parties.î
Alison responded to accusations that sheís just in it to be a spoiler.
ìIf I am, Iím only spoiling it for the spoilers in the party. Iíve had enough of them,î she said. ìThings have really gone to the fringes, especially in the past 10 years. Youíve got these zealots running the party that are working on their own agendas, and I finally said, ëEnough.í î
Alison said that it really hit home for her while she was reading a story to her daughter called ìThe Zaxî by Dr. Seuss. The story is about a North-Going Zax and a South-Going Zax who run into each other and then, both full of pride, refuse to get out of the other oneís way.
ìI was just laughing because thatís our Democratic and Republican parties here in Minnesota ó face to face, refusing to budge,î she said.
Having these two extremes in government causes them to cancel each other out, not bring about balance, she said.
Paul Bakken agreed.
ìCentrists do the intellectual heavy lifting ó theyíre forced to look at both sides of the issue,î he said.
Paul said he left the Republican Party in part because of the increasing negativity and ìideological knee-jerk reactionsî to problems.
By throwing both of their hats into the ring, he said, the couple are offering district voters better options.
ìThis is the best way to get the best result for Eagan voters,î he said.ìMy wife is certainly a far better candidate than the other Republican.î
Alison said the couple hadnít seriously thought about facing each other in the election until recently.
ìWe hadnít really thought about that before, but people keep asking us so now weíre starting to think about it. Weíd both run clean campaigns,î she said. ìPaul and I are just enjoying what weíre doing and making people aware of whatís going on. Iíve been quiet for a long time and I finally had enough.î
ìIt is possible that we could face each other in the election,î Paul said. ìBut wouldnít it be refreshing to have two people running against each other who actually like each other?î
Having two Bakkens on the ballot would at least cut down on the political mudslinging, he said.
ìThe worst she could say is that I snore,î he said. ìBut then again, she hogs the covers.î
Bakken said that he and Alison donít differ strongly on the issues, but they do prioritize issues a little differently,
ìOne of my big priorities is to work on campaign finance reform, which is not to say that thatís not important to Alison, but it is not her top priority,î he said. ìSome of her top priorities are, for instance, ensuring quality training for teachers.î
Alison agreed.
ìIím really looking at education reform as one of my big issues. Paul and I have a daughter with special disabilities, so special education is also one of my main issues,î she said.
ìThe key point is weíre trying to ensure the district and its constituents get the best result,î Paul added. ìWeíre competitors, not opponents. One good Bakken deserves another, right?î
Adding to the political intrigue is the candidacy of Michael Dean, who initially announced he was running for the Eagan City Council but in the final hours filed as an Independence Party candidate for the District 38B House seat. Deanís presence in the race will now force an Independence Party primary. The Bakkens both said they found that move to be suspicious.
ìItís not secret that heís been a consistent critic of everybody on the City Council,î Paul said. ìIíd characterize his campaign as one of opposition to a person rather than running on particular issues.î
But like the Bakkens, Dean insists his candidacy is the real deal.
ìI have no personal animosity with Paul,î he said. ìI was critical of some of his votes on the City Council, and obviously I think Iím a better candidate. But I think I really will represent the views of 38B.î
Dean, a member of the Eagan Charter Commission, said his decision was prompted by requests from constituents.
ìSome members of the community called me, not the Republicans, and asked me to run as an Independence Party candidate for the House,î he said. ìIt was not an easily made decision ó it was a very difficult choice. But seeing so many excellent candidates for City Council, I decided my services and skills would apply equally well there.î
Dean said he would have filed regardless of whether Bakken was in the race or not.
ìI intend to win. I think I am the best candidate for the Independence Party for this district,î he said.
Given the current political climate, Alison said she realizes that a husband and wife running against each other was bound to raise eyebrows.
ìIt is a little unusual,î she said. ìBut itís about time that voters pay attention. And if Paul and I running raises that awareness, then great. You need bold moves to make bold changes.î
However, all of these bold moves have left Bakken family members confused about where their contributions should go, she said.
ìMy mom can contribute to me and my dad can contribute to Paul,î she said, laughing.
Regardless of who makes it to the final race, she said, ìI want Eagan voters to go out and let their voices be heard. Donít stay home.î
Top of Page
