Speculation about Sen. Amy Klobuchar prompts political chess at Minnesota Legislature

[question everything]

The Minnesota Senate was considering a whole lot of “ifs” on Thursday.

What if President-elect Joe Biden offered U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar a job in his administration? What if she took it? Then what if Gov. Tim Walz appointed Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to Klobuchar’s seat?

Whether any of that will happen remains to be seen, but Senate Republicans weren’t planning to wait around to find out. In the sixth special session this year, legislators played political chess as Republicans tried to protect their one-seat hold on the Senate next year if Klobuchar joins Biden’s cabinet.

(snip)

In an unusual move, Republicans shifted Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, into the president’s job, replacing Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, for the remainder of 2020. The strategy was to protect Miller’s seat in case he might be called upon to automatically fill the post of lieutenant governor in the event Walz picked Flanagan to replace Klobuchar in the U.S. Senate. With Tomassoni installed as Senate president, the job would go to him, vacating a Senate seat held by a Democrat instead of a Republican.

The gambit was to prevent a repeat of 2017. That’s when former Gov. Mark Dayton appointed then-Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to Al Franken’s open U.S. Senate seat. GOP Senate President Michelle Fischbach ascended to the role of lieutenant governor, prompting a court fight as Fischbach tried to maintain both roles to prevent the GOP from losing a 34-33 majority. She ultimately resigned her Senate seat and a special election was held to fill it.

More..

https://www.startribune.com/republicans-in-legislature-make-moves-on-klobuchar-speculation/573057031/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I think Peggy Flanagan would be a good senator.

Also, she'd be the first Native American woman to go to the Senate.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. She would be, but the race to fill Tomassoni's seat would be a tough one.

[question everything]

4. I think that the replacement should be from outstate

I am sure there are many qualified, experienced individuals there.

I wish we voted and selected individuals on based on their accomplishments and not on “identity.”

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Any suggestions?

Flanagan has excellent qualifications, btw, particularly with respect to Native issues and education.

While in college, Flanagan worked for the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone, eventually becoming an organizer for the urban Native American community. After college, she worked for the Council of Churches, doing outreach work between Native American families and the Minneapolis public school system.

In her first run for elective office, Flanagan won a seat on the Minneapolis Board of Education in 2004. Flanagan joined Wellstone Action as a trainer of activists, organizers, and candidates... Flanagan also advocated for the successful 2014 effort to raise Minnesota's minimum wage. Flanagan was elected... to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2015.

In 2017, Flanagan, and three other Native women formed the Minnesota House Native American Caucus to represent issues of both urban and rural Native Americans and their other constituents in the legislature. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Flanagan

[dflprincess]

6. Flannigan does have ties to White Earth

that's outstate.

[LNM]

3. What does the president of the senate do?

Does this give Tomassoni any control over the senate? I imagine the Republicans would take it away from him if Klobuchar isn't appointed a cabinet position (which she deserves).