This is the third installment of our 6 part series “MN DFL Senate ‘08 Review” which is examining the six potential DFL’08 candidates for Senate. This article features State Senator Mee Moua (E St.Paul).
This weekend Polinaut let loose the following:
DFL Senator Mee Moua of St. Paul told me yesterday that some in the party are recruiting her to run for the U.S. Senate. S
he says she’s not even in the “thinking about it stage.”
Appropriately, the third person to be featured in our under-dog category also seems to be the least interested in actually running. That evaluation is completely based upon her Polinaut comment, however, so don’t count Moua out just yet.
I think the best way to sum up Mee Moua is the way that I’ve heard her described by many political insiders: “Rock Star.”
Senator Moua was first elected in 2002 in Randy Kelly’s former Senate seat (an interesting win in of itself) and she has since risen to become one of the DFL’s leading State Senators. She is Chair of the important Judiciary committee but is also, more importantly, one of the key legislative leaders in the caucus.
Moreover, Senator Moua currently
Born in 1969 in Laos. Her father was a medic in the Vietnam War. At the end of the war, her family fled to Thailand when Moua was five years old.
In 1978 her family, along with other Hmong refugees, moved to the United States . Moua obtained an undergraduate degree from Brown University, a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School. In addition to her senate duties she practices as an attorney. Lastly Moua is part of the Democratic National Committee and a serves as a board member for the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum.
Even with the near universal respect at the capitol and a personal story that could impress the most heartless voter, does Moua have the chops to take it to DC? Yes and no. There is no doubt that Moua is capable and even exceptional, but as a St. Pauler and, I hate to say it, as a Hmong woman her vote-getting capabilities may be hindered outside the metro area. I don’t see this as an insurmountable obstacle, however.
In the end, Moua is in a similar position to the other two under-dogs we’ve featured (Atkins and Clark): she is a stellar candidate facing stellar competition. Franken casts a long shadow and it may be too difficult for Senator Moua to get out of it this cycle.
Loading ...
Do you think her past experience as legal counsel for a chain of pawn shops will impact her candidacy?
I think this is the third installment. Sean
I heard her asked last week and she said she would not comment one way or the other. That indicats to me that she is considering it.
That is interesting James. Where did you hear that?
Of course she’s considering it.
Money, name recognition and votes outside fo the Eastside of St Paul are all things that have to be addressed.
DJZ, you’ve managed to summarize the entire post in one line. Nicely done.
Agreed - well said DJZ.
But where does she stand on PEACE? Inquiring South Minneapolis minds want to know.
Who cares what South Mpls wants, they have enough representation with their cabal in the state legislature….
KEK wants to know where she stands on peace.
At the state DFL convention in Rochester last June, Moua pulled off an amazing feat. She asked every single DLF delegate who was a vet to come stand with her on the stage. It was a staggering number of people, enough that I began to have serious concerns about the weight-bearing capacity of the stage. It was also a huge contrast with the “I’ve got better things to do” Dick Cheney and the AWOL George Bush.
As the last of the vets straggled to the stage, she spoke quietly and eloquently about the experience of Hmong people, who have fought in war and therefore have absolutely no desire to have an unnecessary one. It was huge. Clearly those assembled vets were one of the most anti-war groups in Minnesota for a long, long time.
Like most who have known war, Moua is a strong peace person. She just knows better.
I really love these “some in the party” are talking about/recruiting candidate posts. Who are these people? Joe Atkins’s mom? The girl who sat next to Mee Moua in second grade?
Could someone please clarify exactly who these kingmakers are. Name names, please. I, for one, would like to know who in the party calls up people like Mee Moua and says, “Y’know, Senator, you should really think about running for Senate” and can be taken seriously when doing it.
If such people exist, let’s hear the names. Otherwise, I’m going to assume that all of these tier-two candidates - Moua, Atkins - are at best talking to themselves. Imaginary friends, if you will.
In the history of the DFL, has there ever been an officeholder more fond of referring to herself by name, ala Bob Dole: “Yesterday I was asked to vote for a gay marriage bill. But Mee Moua doesn’t vote for those kinds of bills.” Seriously, other than Bob Dole and Joe Biden, Moua might be the American politician who does it most.
Now, I don’t know if this reflects upon her personally, but I will say that such self-referentialism tends to suggest a very large ego. Which thus suggests a question: who among the current line-up of potential candidates has the highest self-regard? My rankings:
1. Ciersi
2. Atkins
3. Moua
4. Franken
… and everyone else.
I realize that US senators are supposed to have egos, but it does seem that this particular crop of senators in waiting has that quality in spades.
I just hope Atkins doesn’t run. If he does we face the possibility that Todd Podgorski would want the seat. If that happens, I’m moving to Mark Olson’s district…..
I do have to say that one of my favorite chants at the convention where Mee Moua first ran for State Senate was “We want Mee!”
The guy sitting next to me commented to the effect that he never thought that would be a grammatically correct sentence.
I don’t think Moua’s ethnicity will be the major thing against her. She’ll get tons of free media puff pieces based on that. If she acts like she thinks there should be affirmative action for her based on her ethnicity, that will backfire with voters.
This is a great slate of metro candidates you have here. Where is the woodwork candidate? The person who steps up once Franken has blown his chance by campaigning for the past six years, and the one who stands in opposition to a rich trial lawyer and a couple of metro legislators?
If the DFL is given a late breaking rural candidate, I think they may bite.
Someone like an Aaron Peterson or a Frank Moe.
Any thoughts?