MNpublius.com

MN Blue has a lengthy interview with 3rd CD candidate Jim Hovland. Near the end is this nugget:

He’s also beginning to build an organization. Julie Risser who ran as a Green for State Senate in Edina is working on his campaign. Wendy Wilde says she’ll help. David Lillehaug and John Schultz have agreed to advise him.

Risser picked up 15% of the vote in Edina in 2006 when she ran as a Green Party candidate. That is impressive, though its important to note that DFL candidate Andrew Borene withdrew from the race and was not actively campaigning.

Wilde, the former radio host and congressional candidate, should help alleviate any party switching concerns (I’ve said before that I think that DFLers should welcome former Republicans with open arms, but some in the party don’t share my hospitality).

Lillehaug is extremely well connected in DFL circles and was once rumored to be considering a candidacy himself. I asked him about his role with the Hovland campaign and he said he would have “no formal role” but was providing “free advice”. Lillehaug is in Amy Klobuchar’s inner circle and was a major player in her 2006 race, so that free advice is valuable.

I’m guessing the John Schultz mentioned in the interview is the Superintendent of the Hopkins School District. Being an Anoka-Hennepin boy myself, I don’t know anything about Schultz. But maybe some of our readers do…