Second District Congressman Mark Kennedy is running for re-election in a new district this year. Redistricting moved the freshman Republican into the newly configured 6th district. Fellow Republicans called Kennedy a "giant killer" after he defeated DFLer David Minge in the 2000 election. His DFL opponent says Kennedy is just as vulnerable this year as Minge was in 2000. Stillwater attorney Janet Robert says the makeup of the new district favors her and her issues.

	Congressman Mark Kennedy campaigns at the Kimball Days parade on a recent summer day. Kennedy, a Republican, was elected in the 2nd district in 2000, but is now running for re-election in the 6th district. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

Mark Kennedy had expected the power of incumbency would help him in his bid for re-election. When Kennedy ran in 2000 he was an underdog. But he won by 148 votes in one of the closest congressional races in Minnesota history. But because of redistricting, Kennedy will again have to run like a challenger again.

The 6th Congressional district stretches along from the northern part of Stearns County across the northern Twin Cities suburbs to Washington County. Kennedy's current 2nd Congressional district accounts for only 15 percent of the newly configured 6th.

At the Kimball Days parade, Kennedy is shaking hands and introducing himself to new voters. The town parade features tractors, firetrucks and old-fashioned politicking. With one hand, Kennedy presses the flesh. With the other he gives out football schedules for the Vikings, Gophers and St. John's University. Some voters ask Kennedy who he is, if he's new to the district and ask if he's a Republican or a Democrat.

Before the parade, Kennedy approached a group of Kimball volunteer firefighters. John Gannon leans against one of the fire trucks. He says he wants to see Congress get tough on corporate accountability and help the family farmer. He and Kennedy start talking about the latest farm bill.

	Kennedy's DFL opponent, Janet Robert, says Kennedy is just as vulnerable this year as Minge was in 2000. Robert, an attorney in Stillwater, says the makeup of the new district favors her and her issues. (MPR file photo)

"It's not a good program. They're going to have to get something in there and get some help to them here. The costs of doing business these days - with the cost of health insurance and everything - it's just killing these family farms and something needs to be done here," Kennedy says.

Kennedy says he's also running on an agenda that includes cutting taxes, improving the economy, fixing the state's roads and fighting the war on terrorism. He describes himself as a Bush-style conservative with a business background. Vice President Dick Cheney recently held a fundraiser for him. Kennedy says his record will fit well with the voters in the newly-drawn 6th district.

"I expect to continue to focus on the record of accomplishment that I have established in my first term in Congress, and what my vision is for the future. And I think that is what this campaign will be about," Kennedy says.

The DFLer in the race, Janet Robert, is also touring the district, trying to get to know as many voters as possible. In between the parades, pancake breakfasts and county fairs, Robert is also trying to learn more about what she considers the major issues.

"The privatization of Social Security is an extremely important issue that Mark Kennedy wants to run away from. ... He clearly supports privatization." - DFL congressional candidate Janet Robert

On a recent afternoon, Robert toured the St. Cloud Hospital. She also listened to a presentation from hospital executives on federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid, the health care workforce shortage, and the increasing costs of medical technology and prescription drugs. Robert says these types of visits help her fully understand how health care providers are doing in the district.

"If I can understand the problems that they're facing, and the solutions that they think might work, to help them better serve their constituents - that helps me be a better candidate and a better congresswoman, if elected" Robert says.

Robert began attacking Kennedy's record almost as soon as she kicked off her campaign. She's focused on Kennedy's stance on corporate accountability and Social Security. Her campaign makes references to his corporate background - specifically mentioning that he has worked for the embattled accounting firm Arthur Anderson.

Kennedy worked for Arthur Anderson 20 years ago. Robert says Kennedy took a soft stance on corporate accountability, and only changed when the stock market started going south. Robert, who served on the Oak Park Heights City Council, says Kennedy isn't a true corporate reformer.

Officials with the Kennedy campaign say it's Janet Robert who has had problems with corporate accountability. A federal court fight led to a judge's ruling that Robert and several relatives who own a manufacturing company "squeezed out" shareholders five years ago at an artificially low stock price. Robert says the court battle was an honest dispute over stock value.

"The other side appears to think that the way we solve Social Security for our children is to try to scare our seniors and demagogue this issue." - Congressman Mark Kennedy

"To suggest that this is something like the corporate accountability issues of Enron and WorldCom is quite a stretch. Those were cases where actual fraud was involved," Robert says. "I have the corporate experience to understand the needs of business as well as the needs of shareholders, and I have a very moderate position looking at those interests."

Robert also criticizes Kennedy for voting for the Bush tax cut, but won't say if she'd vote to repeal it. She also attacked Kennedy for voting to raise the debt ceiling, but won't say which programs she'd cut to balance the federal budget.

On the issue of Social Security, the two candidates are debating the term "privatization," and where Kennedy stands on the issue. Robert says Kennedy has supported a plan that would allow young workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax into personal retirement accounts - which she says would give those workers smaller benefits.

"The privatization of Social Security is an extremely important issue that Mark Kennedy wants to run away from," Robert says. "His previous position on his Website when he ran for office two years ago, in a letter that he signed, in a vote that he took in Congress, all indicate that he clearly supports privatization."

Kennedy says he wants to make sure Social Security is solvent for years to come. Social Security funding is projected to go broke in 2041 after the baby boomers use a large portion of the system.

Kennedy says he supports exploring options to make sure the system is financially solvent. He says personal accounts may be an option that he would consider. He says Democrats like Robert are using the term privatization because it's a politically-charged word that scares seniors.

"The other side appears to think that the way we solve Social Security for our children is to try to scare our seniors and demagogue this issue," Kennedy says. "I cannot think of anything that is more undermining to the true needs of our society and our seniors. I have not found things more appalling than the conduct I have seen from those that are trying to use this as a wedge issue."

Independence Party candidate Dan Becker says if he's elected he'd try to curb the use of methamphetamines. Becker, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor from St. Cloud, says Minnesota's 6th Congressional District has the largest rates of meth use in the state. He says he'd like to link federal law enforcement with local social service agencies, to reduce the production and sale of the drug.

"I'd like to be the Tom Ridge of District 6. There's a lot of good federal agencies - there's the FBI, the DEA and the ATF - they're all in District 6 working on this drug problem," Becker says. "There's not enough, in my opinion, between the schools, local law enforcement and federal agencies that are trying to tackle this problem."

Becker also says he'd like to see nonviolent drug users treated for their problem instead of going to jail. He says he won't collect any special interest money for his campaign. He says he needs the youth vote that turned out for Jesse Ventura in 1998 if he has any chance at winning.

All three candidates oppose legalized abortion and want limited gun control laws.