Turnover of state offices is one for history books

Constitutional offices have been models of stability in Minnesota. One officeholder served 38 years.
Robert Franklin, Star Tribune

Last update: November 08, 2006 – 10:03 PM
Minnesotans elected three new state constitutional officers Tuesday, and the trio could be around for a while.

Attorney General-elect Lori Swanson, Auditor-elect Rebecca Otto and Secretary of State-elect Mark Ritchie join an exclusive club of officeholders noted for longevity and stability:

Minnesota has had just eight attorneys general in the past 67 years, eight auditors in the past 75 years, eight secretaries of state in the past century.

For the three new constitutional officers, "the longevity begins now," said Hy Berman, a retired University of Minnesota history professor.

Berman called Tuesday's vote "a volatile shift in electoral sentiments" and "a DFL sweep" that didn't propel Attorney General Mike Hatch into the governor's office only because of the third-party candidacy of Peter Hutchinson.

All three of the winning DFLers won their races by margins of 100,000 to 265,000 votes, while Hatch lost to incumbent Gov. Tim Pawlenty by about 22,000.

Swanson, a top aide to Hatch, easily defeated state Rep. Jeff Johnson, R-Plymouth. She said Wednesday that voters responded to her "incredibly passionate" desire to continue to "stand up for people, stand up for the ordinary citizen."

The secretary of state supervises elections, and Ritchie defeated two-term Republican incumbent Mary Kiffmeyer, arguing that she sought to depress opposition turnout.

However, Ritchie said he hopes to continue some of her initiatives, especially in working with children on the importance of voting.

Otto defeated Republican Pat Anderson, who served one four-year term, alleging that the incumbent shaded audits in a partisan way. Otto said she wants to make the office more proactive, less "reactive and punitive" and more visible.

Many reelected for years

Historically, many constitutional officers haven't been extremely visible, and incumbents have typically won reelection except in years of party sweeps.

Chuck Slocum, a former state Republican chairman, said the changes in auditor and secretary of state were unexpected, and "those offices may have been perceived by some voters as being more partisan than they are."

Warren Spannaus, attorney general from 1971 to 1982, said relations among constitutional officers don't have to be partisan. Spannaus said he got along best with a Republican governor, Al Quie.

In addition to Spannaus, longtime constitutional officeholders in recent memory included Hubert Humphrey III, who served 16 years as attorney general; Val Bjornson, 22 years as treasurer, an office abolished in 2002; Joseph Donovan, 16 years as secretary of state; Joan Growe, 24 years as secretary of state, and Stafford King, 38 years as auditor.

Some officeholders advanced, notably Democratic Attorney General Walter Mondale, appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1964, and Republican State Auditor Arne Carlson, elected governor in 1990.

Based on history, Swanson would do well not to follow her boss in running for governor. The last four attorneys general -- Republican Doug Head and DFLers Spannaus, Humphrey and Hatch -- all tried and lost.

For the record, Swanson, who entered the race this summer after the DFL endorsee dropped out, said she has no such plans.

"I wasn't planning on running for attorney general," she said Wednesday. "I'm a politician of 3½ months."

Robert Franklin • 612-673-4543 • rfranklin@startribune.com

source: http://www.startribune.com/587/story/798062.html