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The stakes are high for three DFL state legislators in the Aug. 11 state primary election. The three incumbents are running without their party's endorsement, and if they lose the primary, they won't be on the ballot in November. 

Esther Agbaje won the DFL Party backing over four-term incumbent Rep. Raymond Dehn for the House District 59B seat that covers parts of downtown and north Minneapolis. 

A similar endorsement story unfolded last spring in south Minneapolis where Omar Fateh took the DFL nod over state Sen. Jeff Hayden, a three-term incumbent who previously served two terms in the Minnesota House.

And in Duluth local delegates endorsed attorney Jen McEwen over incumbent Sen. Erik Simonson, who has served one term in the Senate after two terms in the House.

The three endorsed candidates are getting primary support from the DFL party. But the legislative caucuses that the three incumbents currently belong to are staying out of the fray and will focus instead on the general election.

Agbaje, an attorney, says she worked hard to win the endorsement. She said people have grown impatient waiting for improvements in the environment, health care, education and housing, And there is an appetite for change.

“I think I would more say that there is a difference in approach and perspective,” Agbaje said. “Less so about a difference in ideology.”

Dehn said he has a solid progressive record and that the unusual circumstances of this year’s endorsing convention, which was held remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is why he kept running.

“I didn’t think it would be fair to all the voters in the district versus 214 people involved in a virtual convention,” Dehn said. “The virtual convention I will just say was not a typical endorsement process.”

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Isaiah Whitmore is the third DFL candidate on the primary ballot in 59B.

Fateh, who works at the University of Minnnesota and describes himself as a "Democratic Socialist activist," is also talking about change in his race against Hayden.

“I think there are two pieces to it,” Fateh said. “No. 1: The district just hasn’t had that progressive voice that we need at the Senate level. And No. 2: The senator has been largely absent in our community.”

Hayden said Fateh’s claims are baseless, listing several initiatives he has worked on for communities within his urban district. Hayden has also raised questions about the endorsing process and insists that he is a strong progressive voice.

“Even the work you’ve just seen me do on the floor in fighting for a law enforcement bill and fighting for George Floyd,” Hayden said. “If that’s not progressive, I don’t know what is.”

In the Duluth primary contest, Simonson said the key differences are on environmental issues, including copper nickel mining and oil pipelines.

“We’ve seen this for a while kind of building, building here in Duluth,” he said. “And this is kind of representative of that divide. But beyond that, there are not a lot of stark differences between us I don’t think.”

McEwen said there are actually more differences, saying greater urgency is needed to address health care, housing and income inequality. But McEwen agreed that the environment, including a transition to a clean-energy economy, is a key issue. 

“Unfortunately, there are some within the DFL party who are just trying to keep that status quo going for as long as they can and are just entrenched in that,” McEwen said. “So, I think people are ready to see some movement on those fundamentals.”

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Three DFL state legislators are fighting to stay on the November ballot after they lost their party’s endorsement. Next week’s primary election will determine whether they can continue seeking reelection.

High stakes primary looms for three DFL lawmakers

Jerry Olson for MPR News

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High stakes primary looms for three DFL lawmakers

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