There’s a primary next Tuesday in my senate district, SD59. It’s the first round in the special election to replace former senator Larry Pogemiller, who resigned earlier this year after a long stint in the senate. Given the political leaning of the district, it’s almost a guarantee that the winner of the DFL primary is going to be elected to the district, and that has made the campaign on the DFL side a crowded one, with a number of candidates vying for the privilege of running in the general election next January under the DFL label. Among all the candidates, one has risen to the top of my list, and the candidate I’m going to be voting for next Tuesday is Mohamud Noor.
For the most part, the candidates are not all that far apart on the issues. I really don’t think that any one of them, were they to be elected, would be vastly different from the rest of the pack, the beliefs of the majority of the district, or my beliefs in terms of representing them at the capitol. So it has to come down to more than just the issues, as it always does, and it is these extra qualities that has led to my support for Noor.
Noor gets my vote for several reasons. He’s got a unique story that isn’t really represented at the capitol. He would be a strong advocate for a significant population that is often overlooked, but at the same time I think he would ably represent all the citizens of the district. To my knowledge, he was the only candidate to speak up about choice at the candidate forum on Wednesday; that’s a big deal to me. While some see his lack of experience in elected positions as a liability, I disagree: I don’t usually vote for insiders or dynasties, generally preferring the unique views than an outsider can bring. The contacts he may not have inside the capitol to begin with will be outweighed by the contacts and support he has on the outside. Plus, he’s a techie like me, which never hurts.
In a campaign like this, I’m glad to have the pleasure of voting for a candidate I’m proud of, instead of voting against candidates I dislike. All of the people running would do a fine job representing SD59 in my opinion, and no matter who wins, Democrats can come together for the betterment of the district and the state. I do believe, though, that one of the candidates does rise to the top, and I will happily make the choice for Noor on December 6th.