Sheila Kiscaden is a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politics

Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...

. She is a former Minnesota State Senator

Minnesota Senate

The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...

 from District 30, which includes much of Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...

 and nearby rural areas. She was first elected to the Senate in 1992 as a Republican

Republican Party of Minnesota

The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...

. In 2002, after being denied the Republican endorsement at the senate district convention, she ran as a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota

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...

. That fall she defeated the Republican candidate and a Democratic challenger in a three-way race.

Despite being elected as a member of the Independence party, Kiscaden still caucused with the Republicans until they publicly separated from her. She was invited to join the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL)

Minnesota 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...

 caucus, which she did, though she did not formally join that party until January 2006.

In January 2006, Kiscaden became a candidate for Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant governor

A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...

 with DFLer Kelly Doran

Kelly Doran

Kelly J. Doran is a Minnesota businessman. He ran for Governor as a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, but ended his bid in March 2006, stating that the campaign was too difficult for his family.-Background:...

 in his bid for governor. He dropped out of that race after only a couple of months. Kiscaden had endorsed another member of the DFL to succeed her in the legislature. Her most recent term in the State Senate ended in January 2007.

External links

• Sheila Kiscaden's Senate Website
• Doran taps Legislature's only IPM member as running mate - Minnesota Public Radio
  Minnesota Public Radio
  Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
  
  article January 9, 2006