Elwyn Tinklenberg
Encyclopedia
Elwyn "El" Tinklenberg is an American politician, and was the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee and Independence Party of Minnesota
endorsee for U.S. Congress in Minnesota's 6th District elections in 2008. He announced his candidacy again in 2009 but dropped out almost immediately after candidate Maureen Reed
raised nearly $250,000 in the first quarter of her campaign. He was also Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation
from 1998 to 2002.
Tinklenberg was born in Princeton
and grew up on a farm in Pease
, a small, Dutch farming community in central Minnesota. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth
in 1973. Afterward, he enrolled at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois
. He completed his Master of Divinity at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 1977. He served as a United Methodist minister in Blaine, Minnesota
, from 1977 to 1986 before being elected to the Blaine City Council and then Mayor of Blaine. He was appointed Minnesota Transportation Commissioner by then Governor Jesse Ventura
in 1998.
City Council, and in 1987, he was elected Mayor of Blaine and served in that position until 1996. Tinklenberg was a crucial player in the construction of the National Sports Center
in Blaine, a 600 acres (2.4 km²) multi-sport complex that includes a soccer stadium with a track, over 50 youth soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink
, which is the largest ice facility of its type in the world. The NSC hosts numerous national and international sporting events throughout the year, boosting the area's economy.
(the state's first light-rail train line) and the Northstar Corridor
commuter rail line.
In 2002, Tinklenberg oversaw the implementation of the Mn/DOT 511 service, an integrated internet and phone system for travel information. The 511 service is used by Minnesota travelers to receive information on conditions and amenities. According to Mn/DOT, it is 10 times faster than its predecessor.
After Tinklenberg announced his plans to leave Mn/DOT in 2002, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune published an editorial praising his record and service. The editorial noted that Tinklenberg told Minnesotans "not necessarily what they wanted to hear but what they needed to hear. His frequent explanations helped lift the interwoven issues of roads, transit, housing and development to the top of the state's agenda."
twice: in 2006 he was a candidate, but was not nominated; and in 2008, he was nominated but lost the general election.
candidates for the sixth district
seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2006 election. A former United Methodist minister and manager of the Divisions of Public Services for Anoka County, he ran on a platform that supported jobs, education, transportation and as a socially conservative Democrat who opposed legalized abortion and supported a Federal Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage. He had been selected to receive support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
and had received the early endorsement of several important labor unions.
Tinklenberg's opponent for the DFL nomination was Patty Wetterling
. Another candidate, Scott Mortensen
, dropped out of the running by March 2006. Tinklenberg originally entered the race only after receiving assurances from Wetterling, the DFL's 2004 candidate, that she would not run. Wetterling changed her mind after struggling to gain momentum in her campaign for the open Minnesota Senate
seat and after getting encouraged by constituents who wanted a DFL alternative to Tinklenberg. On May 13, 2006, Tinklenberg dropped out of the race for Congress and endorsed Patty Wetterling after losing the DFL endorsement for the Sixth District race.
Michele Bachmann
was the Republican candidate for the Minnesota
Sixth District seat, which was vacated by Mark Kennedy so he could run for the U.S. Senate. The Minnesota Sixth District covers the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities and extends northwest across rural areas to include St. Cloud
. Bachmann, the Republican nominee, won the election.
Tinklenberg received strong support from unions, receiving endorsements from all of the labor organizations that become involved in the election. Throughout the Senate District conventions in March and April, both Olson and Tinklenberg campaigns claimed having a lead in the delegate count.
Closer to the Sixth District DFL Convention, Olson's critiques of Tinklenberg grew sharper. Tinklenberg was accused of supporting the use of taconite tailings in transportation aggregate. Tinklenberg contended that, indeed, he did support the use of western Iron Range taconite tailings in transportation aggregate through a University of Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute
program, which was backed by the Environmental Protection Agency
. The University's research concluded that taconite tailings from the western side of the Iron Range
were safe for use in road construction, unlike the by-product from the eastern side of the Range, which had been linked to an increased risk to cancer. Tinklenberg reiterated that he would only support the sustainable use of western Iron Range taconite tailings as long as the research showed it to be a safe practice.
Tinklenberg was also accused by congressional opponents, including Bob Olson of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, of not complying with lobbying registration regulations. Through his work as a transportation consultant, Tinklenberg had been hired as an adviser to a number of counties and municipalities. Because his work required him to have contact with state legislators, Tinklenberg was required to register as a lobbyist in the state of Minnesota. On February 27, 2008, Eric Zaetsch, a local liberal blogger, filed a complaint with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board. The Board found Tinklenberg to be in full compliance with the law.
On April 26, 2008, Tinklenberg received the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (Minnesota's Democratic Party), garnering 72% of the delegate support on the first ballot — 12% above the required 60% threshold. Olson immediately withdrew, and Tinklenberg received the unanimous support of the Convention.
On the evening of October 17, 2008, Tinklenberg's opponent, Bachmann, appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews
. She said she was "very concerned that [Obama] may have anti-American views," and called for the news media to "do a penetrating expose" on "the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America?" Her statements about liberalism
and anti-American views were quickly spread around liberal
blogs such as The Daily Kos, Democratic Underground
and The Huffington Post
.
Outrage at Bachmann's comments led to nearly $440,000 in donations to Tinklenberg's campaign in less than 24 hours and over $750,000 in 72 hours. In response, Tinklenberg wrote, "The last few hours have been nothing short of astounding. Since Congresswoman Michele Bachmann appeared on MSNBC’s Hardball earlier tonight, there’s been a deluge of support unlike anything we have seen." His total fundraising before the Bachmann appearance was approximately $1 million, under $720,000 of which was from individuals. Prior to Bachmann's remarks, Democrats had already planned to spend $1,000,000 against the Republican incumbent after Tinklenberg had reached the milestone of raising $1,000,000 on his own.
Nevertheless, Bachmann won re-election, by just under 3 percentage point
s.
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
endorsee for U.S. Congress in Minnesota's 6th District elections in 2008. He announced his candidacy again in 2009 but dropped out almost immediately after candidate Maureen Reed
Maureen Reed
Maureen Reed is a medical doctor who announced that she would run as a Democrat in the sixth congressional district of Minnesota, USA, but withdrew...
raised nearly $250,000 in the first quarter of her campaign. He was also Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation
Minnesota Department of Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's trunk highway system The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced "min-dot") oversees...
from 1998 to 2002.
Tinklenberg was born in Princeton
Princeton, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,933 people, 1,624 households, and 998 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.7 people per square mile . There were 1,670 housing units at an average density of 376.9 per square mile...
and grew up on a farm in Pease
Pease, Minnesota
Pease is a city in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 242 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, a small, Dutch farming community in central Minnesota. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth
University of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
in 1973. Afterward, he enrolled at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
. He completed his Master of Divinity at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 1977. He served as a United Methodist minister in Blaine, Minnesota
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
, from 1977 to 1986 before being elected to the Blaine City Council and then Mayor of Blaine. He was appointed Minnesota Transportation Commissioner by then Governor Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
in 1998.
Blaine mayor
In the 1980s, Tinklenberg was elected to the BlaineBlaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
City Council, and in 1987, he was elected Mayor of Blaine and served in that position until 1996. Tinklenberg was a crucial player in the construction of the National Sports Center
National Sports Center
The National Sports Center is a 600-acre multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States, that includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink, which is...
in Blaine, a 600 acres (2.4 km²) multi-sport complex that includes a soccer stadium with a track, over 50 youth soccer fields, a golf course, a velodrome, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Schwan Super Rink
Schwan Super Rink
The Schwan Super Rink is a ice rink facility that features eight sheets of ice and is the largest ice arena complex in the world. It is located on the National Sports Center campus in Blaine, Minnesota, a northern suburb of Minneapolis – Saint Paul...
, which is the largest ice facility of its type in the world. The NSC hosts numerous national and international sporting events throughout the year, boosting the area's economy.
Minnesota Transportation Commissioner
In 1991, Tinklenberg headed the North Metro Mayors Association, which worked to improve the transportation systems and business opportunities of its member communities. During that time, he gained a reputation as an expert of transportation and infrastructure issues, which led to his appointment as Transportation Commissioner by then Governor Jesse Ventura in 1998. In that role, Tinklenberg worked with Ventura to support aggressive construction and improvement of highways statewide. He worked with the Minnesota State Legislature to create bipartisan support for a regional commuter plan for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. This plan included the construction of the Hiawatha LineHiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
(the state's first light-rail train line) and the Northstar Corridor
Northstar Corridor
The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the U.S. state of Minnesota, which began service on November 16, 2009. The rail line serves part of the Northstar Corridor between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, and has been in planning since the Northstar Corridor Development Authority formed in 1997...
commuter rail line.
In 2002, Tinklenberg oversaw the implementation of the Mn/DOT 511 service, an integrated internet and phone system for travel information. The 511 service is used by Minnesota travelers to receive information on conditions and amenities. According to Mn/DOT, it is 10 times faster than its predecessor.
After Tinklenberg announced his plans to leave Mn/DOT in 2002, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune published an editorial praising his record and service. The editorial noted that Tinklenberg told Minnesotans "not necessarily what they wanted to hear but what they needed to hear. His frequent explanations helped lift the interwoven issues of roads, transit, housing and development to the top of the state's agenda."
U.S. House campaigns
Tinklenberg has been a candidate for the Minnesota's 6th congressional districtMinnesota's 6th congressional district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district includes most or all of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright, Anoka, and Washington counties. The district is Republican-leaning with a CPVI of R + 7. It is currently represented by Republican Michele Bachmann....
twice: in 2006 he was a candidate, but was not nominated; and in 2008, he was nominated but lost the general election.
2006 campaign
Tinklenberg was one of two DFLMinnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
candidates for the sixth district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district includes most or all of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright, Anoka, and Washington counties. The district is Republican-leaning with a CPVI of R + 7. It is currently represented by Republican Michele Bachmann....
seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2006 election. A former United Methodist minister and manager of the Divisions of Public Services for Anoka County, he ran on a platform that supported jobs, education, transportation and as a socially conservative Democrat who opposed legalized abortion and supported a Federal Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage. He had been selected to receive support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
and had received the early endorsement of several important labor unions.
Tinklenberg's opponent for the DFL nomination was Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling
Patty Wetterling is a U.S. advocate of children's safety, particularly focused on protecting children from abduction and abuse. Her advocacy began after her son Jacob was abducted in 1989...
. Another candidate, Scott Mortensen
Scott Mortensen
Scott Mortensen was one of three DFL candidates for the Minnesota Sixth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2006 election. He dropped out of the primary race by March 2006....
, dropped out of the running by March 2006. Tinklenberg originally entered the race only after receiving assurances from Wetterling, the DFL's 2004 candidate, that she would not run. Wetterling changed her mind after struggling to gain momentum in her campaign for the open Minnesota Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat and after getting encouraged by constituents who wanted a DFL alternative to Tinklenberg. On May 13, 2006, Tinklenberg dropped out of the race for Congress and endorsed Patty Wetterling after losing the DFL endorsement for the Sixth District race.
Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
was the Republican candidate for the Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
Sixth District seat, which was vacated by Mark Kennedy so he could run for the U.S. Senate. The Minnesota Sixth District covers the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities and extends northwest across rural areas to include St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
. Bachmann, the Republican nominee, won the election.
2008 campaign
On September 28, 2007, Tinklenberg announced his plans to again challenge Bachmann for the seat in 2008, along with two other announced candidates, Bob Olson and Bob Hill. Following Tinklenberg's entrance into the race, Hill dropped out.Tinklenberg received strong support from unions, receiving endorsements from all of the labor organizations that become involved in the election. Throughout the Senate District conventions in March and April, both Olson and Tinklenberg campaigns claimed having a lead in the delegate count.
Closer to the Sixth District DFL Convention, Olson's critiques of Tinklenberg grew sharper. Tinklenberg was accused of supporting the use of taconite tailings in transportation aggregate. Tinklenberg contended that, indeed, he did support the use of western Iron Range taconite tailings in transportation aggregate through a University of Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute
Natural Resources Research Institute
The is a U.S. based research institute established by the Minnesota state legislature within the University of Minnesota Duluth. NRRI is a non-profit applied research organization with a mission to improve the economy of Minnesota by helping its industries compete in the global marketplace with...
program, which was backed by the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
. The University's research concluded that taconite tailings from the western side of the Iron Range
Iron Range
The Iron Range is a region that makes up the northeastern section of Minnesota in the United States. "The Range", as it is known by locals, is a region with multiple distinct bands of iron ore...
were safe for use in road construction, unlike the by-product from the eastern side of the Range, which had been linked to an increased risk to cancer. Tinklenberg reiterated that he would only support the sustainable use of western Iron Range taconite tailings as long as the research showed it to be a safe practice.
Tinklenberg was also accused by congressional opponents, including Bob Olson of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, of not complying with lobbying registration regulations. Through his work as a transportation consultant, Tinklenberg had been hired as an adviser to a number of counties and municipalities. Because his work required him to have contact with state legislators, Tinklenberg was required to register as a lobbyist in the state of Minnesota. On February 27, 2008, Eric Zaetsch, a local liberal blogger, filed a complaint with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board. The Board found Tinklenberg to be in full compliance with the law.
On April 26, 2008, Tinklenberg received the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (Minnesota's Democratic Party), garnering 72% of the delegate support on the first ballot — 12% above the required 60% threshold. Olson immediately withdrew, and Tinklenberg received the unanimous support of the Convention.
On the evening of October 17, 2008, Tinklenberg's opponent, Bachmann, appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics Is Played Told by One Who...
. She said she was "very concerned that [Obama] may have anti-American views," and called for the news media to "do a penetrating expose" on "the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America?" Her statements about liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and anti-American views were quickly spread around liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
blogs such as The Daily Kos, Democratic Underground
Democratic Underground
Democratic Underground, also known as DU, is an online community for U.S. Democrats and progressives. Its membership is restricted by policy to those who are generally supportive of progressive ideals and support Democratic candidates for political office. DU was established on January 20, 2001,...
and The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
.
Outrage at Bachmann's comments led to nearly $440,000 in donations to Tinklenberg's campaign in less than 24 hours and over $750,000 in 72 hours. In response, Tinklenberg wrote, "The last few hours have been nothing short of astounding. Since Congresswoman Michele Bachmann appeared on MSNBC’s Hardball earlier tonight, there’s been a deluge of support unlike anything we have seen." His total fundraising before the Bachmann appearance was approximately $1 million, under $720,000 of which was from individuals. Prior to Bachmann's remarks, Democrats had already planned to spend $1,000,000 against the Republican incumbent after Tinklenberg had reached the milestone of raising $1,000,000 on his own.
Nevertheless, Bachmann won re-election, by just under 3 percentage point
Percentage point
Percentage points are the unit for the arithmetic difference of two percentages.Consider the following hypothetical example: in 1980, 40 percent of the population smoked, and in 1990 only 30 percent smoked...
s.
2010 campaign
Although he had set up a website for a 2010 run for the seat, Tinklenberg announced that he had withdrawn from the race to allow the campaign against Bachmann to be conducted in a unified manner by DFL supporters.External links
- Tinklenberg for Congress 2010 — official campaign website
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- El Tinklenberg on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...