News Highlights

Number of MSU grads in Legislature is on the rise

2006-04-09

By Mark Fischenich, Free Press Staff Writer [published in The Free Press, Mankato, MN]

MANKATO — Even if state Rep.-elects Pat Garofalo and Andy Welti end up towing the party line, they will still be political Mavericks in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Garofalo and Welti — two members of the wave of newly elected state lawmakers — are graduates of Minnesota State University, boosting the number of MSU Mavericks at the Capitol to about a dozen.

MSU grads are actually on a bit of a winning streak. Two alums were elected in 2002, another in a special election in 2003 and two more on Nov. 2. A quick and informal survey of legislative biographies showed 12 former Mavericks, if you include one who did some graduate school work at MSU.

St. Cloud State University held its lead as the top producer of current lawmakers in a comparison of schools in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Four Huskies were elected in 2002, but none were added in 2004, leaving SCSU with 13.

Far in the lead overall is the University of Minnesota. Fifty Gophers are in either the House or Senate, including many graduates of the U's law school.

The top private school — the University of St. Thomas and its graduate school — has 13 lawmakers who have been educated there, according to a scan of the legislative directory.

Gustavus Adolphus College now has four alumni in the Legislature with the addition of state Rep.-elect Ruth Johnson of St. Peter.

State Rep. John Dorn, DFL-Mankato, said it's something of an advantage for MSU to have more lawmakers who graduated from the school when university officials are seeking funding for a particular program or building project.

"At least they have a picture and a feeling for it that goes beyond just a name," said Dorn, one of four St. John's alums in the Legislature. "They know what you're talking about."

Email this article | Permanent link | Topstories news | Topstories news archives