Gambling an issue in House District 35B primary race

In the rural areas of House District 35B, it can be a long walk between houses. Republican legislative candidate Tom Rees rented a Segway electric scooter to speed up the pace of his door-knocking.

"I can go 12 and half miles per hour on this," Rees said. "Walking, I'm maybe doing three."

But the campaign trail runs mostly uphill for Rees, who's taking on Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, a four-term incumbent and chairman of the House Education Policy Committee.

Rees served three terms in the Minnesota House in the early 1980s. He's running again because he disagrees with efforts to expand legalized gambling.

Buesgens is a chief backer of the "racino" legislation. The proposal would allow slot machines at the Canterbury Park horse racing track in Shakopee, which is located in an adjacent legislative district.

Rees found a sympathetic ear when he stopped recently at the home of Nicole Bantz.

"We don't do any gambling like that, so yeah, that's something we wouldn't want around," Bantz said.

Rees hasn't always opposed gambling. As a legislator, he voted for the constitutional amendment that allowed gambling in Minnesota. But he regrets casting that vote.

"At the time I thought, well, let's let the people decide," Rees said. "I'm not the smartest guy in the world I suppose, but if everybody gets together and decides that's what they want to do, then I probably shouldn't be in the way. But looking back at it, and after experiencing the heartache of some of the folks who have really suffered because of the addiction that gambling is, I wish I could go back in time and change that vote."

Rees claims many voters, and many Republicans, share his concerns about gambling. Mark Buesgens disagrees. He says a majority of his constituents back efforts to put slot machines at Canterbury Park.

"Poll after poll after poll that has been done on the racino issue in the last five or six years has consistently shown overwhelming support by folks in Scott County," Buesgens said. "Overwhelming to the tune of 70 to 80 percent in favor of the racino concept."

Buesgens is out to break up what he sees as the gambling monopoly of American Indian-owned casinos. He says a racino would generate tax revenue and jobs for Scott County. Buesgens' list of campaign donors includes the president of Canterbury Park and two board members.

Tom Rees says Buesgens is violating the state Republican Party platform by trying to expand gambling. Buesgens doesn't dispute that claim. But he says he can still be a good Republican while differing with the party.

"The party platform, unlike the Bible, is truly, hopefully, an evolving document," Buesgens said. "As times changes, as we learn more about each other as a people, the party platform has to grow and evolve."

Buesgens insists he isn't taking the primary for granted, because he knows first-hand about the vulnerability of incumbents. Eight years ago, Buesgens came out of nowhere to knock off Becky Kelso, a six-term DFL incumbent.

Voter turnout is the key in any election. In Minnesota, primary elections haven't drawn better than 20 percent in over a decade. In the 2004 primary, the turnout was a meager 7 percent.

Craig Grau, a retired political science professor from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, says a Republican underdog could do well in this year's primary.

"It just doesn't seem like the Republican Party has other reasons to come out to vote," Grau said. "There's a challenge for the governorship but it's not a real, real, real serious challenge, most people don't think. So, if it's a low turnout and there's a group of people who are very upset, a minority can rule."

Voter turnout in Scott County for the 2004 primary election was just 5 percent. The winner of the District 35B GOP primary will face DFL candidate Taylor Kristoffe-Jones of Savage in November.

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