On January 8, Minnesota State Senator Sheila Kiscaden changed her membership from the Independence Party to the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. She had been elected to the State Senate as the Independence Party nominee in 2002. She will run for Lieutenant Governor as a Democrat this year, teamed with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kelly Doran. Kiscaden had been a Republican before she joined the Independence Party.
I live in Minnesota. The Independence Party has really gone down hill since they got lucky in 1998 and got Ventura into office.
They are still an active “major” party in the state, but run few candidates for office. Also I never got the impression that Kiscaden was terribly interested in election law reform. I think she was basically a “moderate” who sided with the IP because the MN GOP has gotten rather testing on social issues.
As a DFLer I am interested in her camapign, even through Doran seems to be running a “moderate” pro-businessman camapign (picking a woman for LG is almost a given in MN), as it (picking a former IND) might suggest some interest in election law reform issues.
On behalf of Friends of Democracy, I have often sent letters to legislators about bills we have written and are already introduced. The two indep. legs never replied. Heck, even Gov. Ventura brushed us aside.