http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5349324.htmlMinnesota's 2006 U.S. Senate race is about to become another three-way contest.
Jack Uldrich, former Independence Party chairman, said Thursday that he intends to seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Mark Dayton.
That will embroil Uldrich in what is widely expected to be a $30 million race, possibly the most expensive in state history, and one of the most closely watched in the country, given Minnesota's status as a battleground state.
Uldrich, who served as deputy state planning director under Gov. Jesse Ventura, said his effort will have to be a "guerrilla campaign," waged low to the ground and loaded with detailed policy ideas.
"There's no way I can match them dollar for dollar," he said. "But I know they're not going to offer any specifics on how to fix Social Security or deal with difficult issues. I will."
Uldrich will face tough opposition on either side. Sixth District Rep. Mark Kennedy, a known, bankable figure in state Republican politics, has already beaten back most would-be challengers within his party.
On the DFL side, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar raised nearly $600,000 in five weeks, and she hasn't even formally announced yet. Her closest competitor for endorsement is Patty Wetterling, a near-iconic figure among child-safety advocates for her work with missing children.
Larry Jacobs, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota, said that despite facing several substantial obstacles, Uldrich could be a significant force in the race and should not be discounted.
"He's smart and shrewd," Jacobs said. "If he's able to get some money and run a credible campaign, he could pull a significant number of swing voters and peel off some moderates on either side."
That will make for a different dynamic in the 2006 race, Jacobs said, and could make the outcome even more unpredictable.
He noted that in the 2002 gubernatorial race, the Independence candidate, former First District Congressman Tim Penny, pulled 16 percent of the vote. Enough of that came from DFL challenger Roger Moe to hold him to 36 percent and allow Republican Tim Pawlenty to win with just 44 percent.
But Uldrich faces a triple hurdle in his race, Jacobs said, lacking name recognition, big money and a solid party structure that can provide bodies and a network.
But Uldrich said he's "not going to sit on the sidelines and let these clowns avoid the issues."
Uldrich said he is mindful that the still-struggling Independence Party will not bring rich resources to his race. "It's just the opposite. I'm hoping my candidacy will help build the party."
Whether Uldrich wins or loses, Jacobs said, another race with a strong third-party candidate will be "very good for Minnesota politics, which is becoming very competitive."
Minnesota, he said, is "closer to having a multiparty system than anywhere else in the country. Unlike almost any other state in the country, the potential for a third-party candidate is very, very real in Minnesota."
Uldrich, of Minneapolis, is a former naval intelligence officer and Defense Department policy analyst and has written books on leadership, history and technology. He is vice chairman of the Independence Party and president of the NanoVeritas Group, a nanotechnology consulting business.
