Kowabunga

Garofalo Receives Star Tribune Endorsement

The Star Tribune (Free Registration required) has endorsed Patrick Garofalo of Farmington for the House 36B seat. This is a major shock as Pat is a Republican.

District 36B: Garofalo

Republican Patrick Garofalo is the right candidate at the right time for this district. It was disappointing when Rep. Steve Strachan, a promising first-term lawmaker, stepped down from this seat after becoming Lakeville police chief. Then Garofalo, 33, a network engineer with Allianz Life Insurance and a community activist in the Farmington-Lakeville area, came forward.

He is more conservative than we would like, particularly on social issues. But he is also pragmatic and well-informed, and would energetically represent his growing district. He’s sensitive to the residents of the district’s semirural area who are anxious to preserve local control and open space. But he also understands the importance of developing a multimodal regional transportation plan that includes rail transit. He recognizes the need to work in concert with the rest of the metro area. His balanced approach should make him a good contributor to growth strategies south of the Minnesota River.

The DFL candidate, Benjamin Coler, 32, is a bright recent law school graduate who moved to Farmington six months ago with the intention of running for this seat. He’s not yet ready for the Legislature.

The Trib also has a profile on Patrick, where they rate the candidate on several state issues. Worth checking out.