Sertich Appointed to the Minnesota Stadium Facilities Authority
After the dust up with Stadium Authority member Duane Benson and Stadium Authority Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen, Governor Dayton appointed former IRRRB Commissioner Tony Sertich to replace Benson. Sertich served as Commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board until 2011 when he stepped down to take a position with Northland Foundation. Sertich also served in the state House and rose to the House Majority Leader position.
Benson served in the Minnesota Senate as Minority Leader and played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders. He resigned from the Board this June after saying Chair Kelm-Helgen called him “untrustworthy” and “a liar,” a charge Kelm-Helgen denied. The MSFA is tasked with overseeing the $1 billion football stadium development project which includes significant public funding.
Campaign Rumblings
Jim Abeler, former state Representative from Anoka who retired from the state House in 2014, is actively exploring a run for SD35. The current member representing Senate District 35, Branden Petersen (R-Andover), has announced he will not run for re-election in 2016.
Abeler represented the House District in the Anoka area for 8 terms from 1998 to 2014. He served as Chair of the Health and Human Services Finance Committee and was the House GOP lead on HHS related issues. He retired and ran for the U.S. Senate seat in 2014. He sought the GOP endorsement and ran in the Primary ultimately losing to the endorsed candidate Mike McFadden, who in turn lost to incumbent Senator Al Franken.
