UPDATE: This from MPR "Capitol View - 12 Hours ago"
--Delegates in Senate District 31 also had to choose between two GOP colleagues: first-term Sen. Michelle Benson of Ham Lake and third-term Sen. Michael Jungbauer of East Bethel. Delegates voted five times before Benson had the 60 percent to win. Jungbauer stepped aside and said he was happy to support her.
So, what is Mike Jungbauer's next political step?
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This link, Andy shouting out about the Anoka County Watchdog as his source.
Benson, she appears to be a true threat to anything resembling a set of policy judgments that might be marginally better than the worse of knuckle dragging GOP sentiments. At their worse, and shared by Jungbauer.
But then there is Jungbauer. Being Jungbauer.
Of the two, and being a progressive who ultimately would like to see a progressive agenda succeed and the opposite flounder, I am hopeful that Jungbauer will prevail.
Hopeful, but not expecting that at all. Mike's time in the Senate seems to be drawing to a close, and a sound expectation is Benson today being endorsed as GOP [new] District 35 Senate candidate, at the District's Senate convention, today.
First ballot, perhaps not, but ultimately, expect Benson to win the endorsement.
So, the interesting thing I anticipate is seeing what Jungbauer's next ploy becomes. Where will he be shopping his talents, such as they are?
I wonder how the staffers within the two camps are reacting. Which group is circulating resumes. My hope of course is that each of those camps become unemployed at the start of next year based on a DFL win in the general election. Again, hope vs expectation.
And an expectation of a GOP victory in SD 35, with Benson, is not a question of DFL candidate quality. It is an expectation grounded on voter quality.