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On Election Night 1992 Minge went to bed thinking he'd been defeated, only to wake up and find he had won by 569 votes; in 1994 he won just 52% of the vote. Despite those close calls, Minge has kept an independent streak, often voting with his party on social issues, but supporting key G.O.P. ideas like term limits and a balanced-budget amendment. This Labor Day weekend, he hit the campaign trail on his bike, riding 160 miles in three days--a tradition since 1992--and is ready for a tense rematch against conservative Gary Revier.
THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion YES Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO* Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "I don't think this is a safe congressional district. I see this as a challenging race, and I'm sure [Revier] thinks so too."
GARY REVIER (R) District 2
BORN: Dec. 18, 1946, Redwood Falls EDUCATION: Redwood Falls High School, diploma, 1964 FAMILY: Wife, Nancy; three children RELIGION: Lutheran MILITARY: Navy, 1964-67 OCCUPATION: Tire-and-service company co-owner POLITICAL CAREER: Redwood Falls city council, 1971-79, mayor, 1979-84, 1991-94, board of education, 1986-89; Republican nominee for U.S. House, 1994 ADDRESS: 115 First Avenue East, Shakopee 55379. Tel.: 612-445-0760
Revier hopes this race won't be deja vu all over again: he lost to David Minge in 1994. This time Revier is pushing a $548 billion tax cut over six years, balanced by cuts in the Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts. He proposes block grants to fight crime, and though he supports tough sentencing for crimes involving guns, he defends the right to bear arms.
THE ISSUES Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NR Abortion YES Guns NO Gays NO Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "We need to lock up criminals, and not in country-club jails."
STANLEY LEINO (D) District 3 (Western Twin Cities suburbs--Bloomington; Minnetonka)
BORN: Feb. 4, 1963, Eveleth EDUCATION: U of Minnesota, B.A., 1986; Hamline U, J.D., 1995 FAMILY: Wife, Lynn; one child RELIGION: Lutheran MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Administrative assistant POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 7118 France Avenue North, Brooklyn Center 55429. Tel.: 612-897-0673
Leino has built his campaign on three issues: education, entitlements and the environment. He strongly supports student loans for higher education and wants more attention to public education rather than giving out vouchers to attend private schools. Juggling two part-time jobs during the campaign, Leino says entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid should stay under federal control. And he wants regulations on business in order to preserve open space for future generations.
THE ISSUES
Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NR Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "My party endorsed me to do a job: get Newt Gingrich out of the Speaker's chair and preserve our children's future."
JIM RAMSTAD (R) District 3