Shelley Madore seeks DFL endorsement

The news out of Massachusetts, where the GOP won another U.S. Senate seat in the special election to fill the balance of Ted Kennedy's term underscores that voters are neither satisfied to hope for change nor burned out on politics. The large turnout shows voters are actively following events inside the beltway, and there's no such thing as a "safe" seat, regardless of how a state has voted recently.

Shelley Madore strode into this tumultuous political climate on Martin Luther King Day to officially make the anticipated announcement that she's seeking the DFL endorsement to run for the seat currently held by John Kline, joining local contractor Dan Powers who announced his candidacy nearly two months ago.

"I'm ready to fight to bring jobs and economic security back to the hardworking people and families here in Minnesota..."

Madore, a long-time resident of Apple Valley with a degree in Business Administration, has served a term in the MN House as the representative from District 37A and sits on the Board of the Minnesota Council for Independent Living.

Following testimonials from supporters and elected officials within the district, including current state Representatives Sandra Masin (38A) and David Bly (25B), Ms. Madore took to the podium with her children beside her and focused on jobs, education, and the need for bi-partisan cooperation as her motivation to run:

"We need a strong leader who will work with other members of Congress to bring jobs back to our community.

We need a strong leader who will create opportunities for workers to gain the skills they need to compete in this new economy.

And we need a strong leader who realizes that education is an ongoing commitment because the world does not stop changing once we graduate.

I am that leader..."

The hunt for the DFL endorsement has begun in earnest, with caucuses less than a month away: February 2.

While the DFL state convention isn't until late April, frankly either Powers or Madore will ascend after the DFL's 2nd Congressional District Convention to campaign to replace Kline. The current Representative seems unlikely to have any challengers from within the GOP, but he's reportedly already begun robo-calling within the district.

The campaign website can be found at MadoreForCongress.com