Endorsements
Communications Workers of America – Minnesota State Council
USW Local 6860 -Eveleth, MN
USW Local 1938 – Mt. Iron, MN
USW Local 2705 – Hibbing, MN
USW Local 2660 – Keewatin, MN
USW Local 159 – International Falls, MN
Endorsements from supporters
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He’s worked hard for our part of the state and for the whole state. He’s a common person with big ideas.
ROBERT BEAUDIN, former Duluth Mayor
As a former intern in the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate, as well as a campaign chair, I support Tom Rukavina for Governor. Throughout his 20+ years in the House, he has shown impeccable leadership skills and a great sense of humor to boot. Rukavina for Governor!
NATE HOFFMAN
Tom Rukavina and Paul Wellstone prove beyond a doubt that good things really do come in small packages. They are both among the best Minnesota has produced. I have known Tom for more than 30 years now. I know as governor he will work to restore funding for Minnesota’s schools and small cities and to make hight education more affordable. Education is the future of this state. I will be supporting Tom from the precinct caucuses on. I have always supported him and he has never disappointed me. By the way, send him a buck or two. I plan to.
THOMAS JAKEL
Tom brings a fire and energy, paired with true common sense that the state of Minnesota desperately needs.
CHAD SMITH
I served with Tom years ago when he was first elected. I recognized at the time that he had “the right stuff” to someday be our Governor. I was the “only” House member to openly support Rudy Perpich before the primary and am proud this cycle to support Tom Rukavina for Governor of Minnesota. He understands the bigger picture and could and would fairly and responsibly represent the whole state.
GLEN H. ANDERSON
We’ve been listening to some grumbling lately from people who think some of the politicians they helped get in office have let them down. We understand. We feel the same way.
Part of the problem is that many organizations keep focusing on winning elections with candidates who really don’t care if they are representing the people, they are only focused on winning elections.
Some of our candidates do very well for us, for a while, but then seem to fade. They clam up, refuse to stick their neck out, it almost seems as if they are afraid of something. Then the excuse machine fires up, blame is assigned to their feeble opposition. The people forgive and the cycle continues. If you’re fed up with this cycle and want to see a real change, particularly in the Minnesota Governor’s office, try supporting a candidate who has consistently fought hard for the people of Minnesota.
State Representative Tom Rukavina is such a candidate, and he is a proven winner. He has won re-election 11 times, because his constituents know, he fights for them. Tom has authored and pushed through multiple bills increasing the state minimum wage.
Tom understands we should be able to start crossing a bridge without wondering if we are going to arrive on the other side. We should be able to drive down well plowed roads and get to work on time. We should be able to call 911 and have help arrive in a timely manner. That our kids should get the attention they need from their teachers. Tom expects, just like all of us, that these conditions should prevail in every city and county in Minnesota, not just in the wealthy enclaves. As Governor, Tom will fight to make that happen.
Tom realizes as well as any other candidate, we can’t just tax the rich to balance the budget, but that’s where he will START! Then you give tax incentives for job creation. (he has done that) Then you protect those jobs once they’re created. (Tom got a law passed making the sale of American flags, that aren’t USA made, illegal in Minnesota!). Once more Minnesotans are back to work, income taxes will come in from them and the budget will stabilize.
Tom isn’t afraid to stick his neck out, he can’t be shut up. If you are tired of swerving to avoid the sheep milling about in the middle of the Road to Real Change, JOIN US, support Tom Rukavina, go to caucus, and become a delegate.
MIKE KUITU, IUOE 49 | JERRY WITTE, associate USW
Tom has always been there when labor needed him. He looks you straight in the eye and tells you how it is.
DAVE ROE, former AFL-CIO President and U of M Regent
I support Tom Rukavina for Governor because he is smart, compassionate and courageous. I have supported Tom from his first race for the State House of Representatives – about 30 years ago. He didn’t win that one but he did win the next. And, from that time through now, he has supported the values and ideals that I care about. He loves this state and the place he grew up; he is loyal but honest and most of all, Tom Rukavina cares about people who struggle – people struggling to find work and those barely hanging on; union workers worried about their futures; older people who need help heating their homes or getting hot meals. Tom has championed housing, jobs and civil rights legislation. And he is an incredibly strong advocate for education – the great equalizer.
Tom Rukavina has heart and mind. Far too often those qualities aren’t found together in candidates. Perhaps most importantly, Tom has courage; courage to tell it like it is — a very rare quality indeed. I am tired of politicians who “spin” things. I would much rather debate honestly with a candidate and understand where we agree and where we don’t rather than have a diplomatic conversation that leaves me in the dark. Tom isn’t always a quiet guy but when he doesn’t agree, he listens. I have criticized many politicians over many years and most brush you aside, act defensive or “spin a yarn.” Tom always listened to what I had to say; he didn’t always change his mind but I knew I had been heard. Tom Rukavina will be good for Minnesota where honest and intelligent populism lives.
LORRIE JANATOPOULIS, Planning Director for Community Action Agency
I have worked for Iron Range Resources for 30 years and have seen firsthand the work and dedication that Tom has put into his position on the board. He has a deep passion for helping people and the betterment of the state. Now as he is running for Governor, I believe he will put forth every effort to make the state of Minnesota a great place to work and live. My vote is for Tom.
SHELLY PERKOVICH, MN
After much thought and research I have concluded that Tom Rukavina should be our next Govenor. Tom Rukavina is a populist progressive who would represent the collective interest of the people of this great state.
STEVE KEMP, Spring Grove, MN
Rep. Tom Rukavina is the type of person who will represent the people of Minnesota in the Governor’s Office and we haven’t had that in more years than I care to remember. As the Mayor of the City of Andover, a suburb of Minneapolis, I am very aware of how Governor Pawlenty’s policies and the “no new tax” policy has hurt our cities and the property tax paying residents. We need someone in the Governor’s Office who understands that real Minnesota values and will fight for them in St. Paul. Tom is that candidate and that is why I am supporting Tom Rukavina for Governor.
MIKE GAMACHE, Mayor of Andover, MN
Minnesota is at a critical stage for the future and needs to have a leader who can get things done. Tom sticks his neck out on key issues and is not afraid to rock the boat. We need someone who will steer a new course for the state and put Minnesota back on the map as a progressive example to the rest of the nation. Tom Rukavina will provide the catalyst we need to move ahead.
DON FOSNACHT, Hermantown, MN
I have known Mr. Rukavina for many years and I have seen what he has done on health issues, for working people, Jobs, and overall, for the whole of MN. He is hard working, and most of all, he cares about the people. I’m sure he will be the best Governor for the people of Minnesota. I fully support him for the next Governor of Great Minnesota.
ASHOK PATTNI, Richfield, MN
I have a Masters in Political Science and my instincts tell me to trust Northern Minnesota lawmakers more because they don’t have an agenda, they know the value of hard work, and my grandma, the late Helia Windquist, was from Chisholm. Even though I live in Los Angeles, reviewing Tom’s record in service gives me faith that he could form a good coalition government to best serve Minnesota’s needs.
JANE HOFFMAN, Los Angeles, CA
Great record, great speaker, great ideas, great commitment — great potential for Minnesota’s future leadership. In this time of crisis over the priorities as well as the practicalities of state government, let’s not miss this chance to choose Rep. Rukavina to represent us in the race for governor. We Minnesotans have had more than our fair share of rogue governors! I believe Tom Rukavina can lead the DFL to victory, and I believe he can lead Minnesota in a more just and more prosperous direction. He has demonstrated a true “Wellstonian” commitment to a better future for Minnesota’s working people and our children and grandchildren. With his solid roots in the Iron Range and demonstrated ability to solve problems with forward-looking creativity, driven by a true desire to serve Minnesotans, Rep. Rukavina’s candidacy is an opportunity that Minnesota’s DFL cannot afford to miss.
AMY HUMMEL, Robbinsdale, MN Webmaster, DFL SD-45
I represented the Transportation Communications Union at the state capitol from 1981 to 1997. Never once did I have to ask Rep. Tom Rukavina for support on a labor or transportation issue. He has been there for labor and working Minnesotans from day one and he will be there for you as your governor. Please consider supporting Tom Rukavina as your next governor.
TOM DWYER, Transportation Communications Union at the state capitol from 1981 to 1997.
Tom Rukavina for Governor
I support Representative Tom Rukavina for Governor because of the good things that he has done in trying to keep tuition down at the University of Minnesota.
With someone like him in the governor’s chair it would be possible to develop a much better working relationship with state government assuming we have a new occupant of the president’s chair in Morrill Hall.
Tom is a UMD graduate and an Iron Ranger. His commitment to education and jobs in Minnesota is of long standing. Unlike some other politicians, in both parties, it is not difficult to guess where Tom will come down on the issues. You may not agree with him on every single thing, but he certainly does not take positions based on what is going to make him the most popular candidate or raise the most money.
It is long past time for us to join hands in cooperation with the government of the state and our fellow citizens to duplicate the relationship between Ohio State University and the State of Ohio which has enabled operations at tOSU without tuition increases for the last three years, without staff layoffs, and with a modest salary increase of 2.5% this year.
BILL GLEASON – The Periodic Table, Minneapolis
As someone that has resided both in Northern Minnesota and the Twin Cities, I understand the importance of having a candidate that comprehends the issues facing all Minnesotans, rural, urban, rich, poor, and middle-class. That is why I endorse Rep. Tom Rukavina for governor. He has the common-sense pragmatic approach to resolve the vast issues that the next governor will have to confront, and he will face these head on with genuine honesty. We cannot continue shifting the tax burden onto property taxes and fees as the current administration has been doing, such a regressive tax structure is devastating to the middle class. Tom has been a champion for the ordinary working Minnesotans in the State House for 23 years, I would love to see what he can do for all of us from the governor’s office.
B. ALTMAN – Minneapolis
Representative Rukavina has represented the Mesabi Range area in the Minnesota House of Representatives for the past 23 years and currently chairs the House Higher Education Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division. He also serves on the House Finance Committee, House Tax Committee, and the Finance subcommittee for the Capital Investment Finance Division.
Rukavina’s deep blue collar roots and his experience as a small business owner guide his decisions as a champion of both the working class and small business owners. He worked driving garbage and milk trucks before following in his father’s footsteps to become an active union organizer and steel worker. Eventually he joined the Trenti law firm as a paralegal.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at the University of Minnesota Duluth and began his political career when he was elected to the Virginia School Board at age 22. He also served as a town officer before he was elected Minnesota Representative.
In 2003 City Pages dubbed Representative Rukavina as the best politician stating, “Rukavina is a classic, fiery DFLer–a blunt, working-class type who cares as much about children and schools as he does about labor issues–the kind that seems to be in short supply these days. While many in Rukavina’s party seem content to let the new conservative crusaders run roughshod over Minnesota’s long-admired social programs, Rukavina has been a constant voice of dissent against the Republican politics of fear and greed.”
A rare breed indeed. He was one of the very few that tells it like it is, recently stating that the governor “has really been a crybaby and a little spoiled brat.”
After years of work Representative Rukavina was successful in creating the Made in America U.S. flag law, where it became a misdemeanor to sell American flags made in foreign countries. He felt compelled to pass the law because “Nothing is more embarrassing to me than a plastic flag made in China.” Not surprisingly, the law was strongly criticized by Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and even the London Times. The London Times article droned on that the law was “a most draconian action.”
The Wall Street Journal claimed that nobody cared where their flag was made, and then implied that the law was biased because it was an infringement on the “freedom to trade with people of other nationalities.” Rukavina hit back by telling them, “you buy your flag made in Pakistan by some eight year old whose parents may be hiding Osama bin Laden; I’ll buy my flag made in the USA by a productive American worker.”
As a long time advocate of labor and all things made in America, his recent boasting about his union made underwear got him a mention in MinnPost.com where he was described as being quite the character. “Characters get stuff done, they break down partisan tension with humor and they build trust. This is a political asset we can’t afford lose.”
He truly is one to always make us smile. Rukavina just might be the very political asset Minnesota needs in the Governors office.
KIM MILLMAN - Burnsville, MN
Representative Rukavina has been rock solid in his support for labor unions. He has fundamental basic notions of fairness to recognize that hard working blue collar workers are the backbone of Minnesota economy. A vote for Representative Rukavina is a vote for justice and dignity for the working class!!! In Solidarity
BARRY TRACH -Former USWA Local 4108 President
“I had the privilege and honor to serve and sit with Rep. Tom Rukavina for 22 of my 32 year tenure in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Tom is among the best of public servants. He has a solid foundation, intellect and great academic and practical knowledge. He shares my philosophy that an elected official should be judged on character, political philosophy and then party affiliation. Rep. Rukavina is respected by people in all parties, because he is a good and honest man! Rep. Rukavina should be endorsed by the Democratic Farmer Labor Party and elected Governor in 2010, twenty years after another Croatian, and a great Governor, Rudy Perpich served the State of Minnesota. Governor Tom Rukavina will fight for economic and social justice for everyone and serve all Minnesotans as he has served al of his constituents on the Iron Range. Tom is an excellent communicator. He is concise, persuasive and humorous. One of the qualities of a good leader is persuasive rehtoric. When he speaks everyone listens.” Thank you for your attention and let us elect Rep. Rukavina as our next Governor
MIKE JAROS, DULUTH, Former State Representative for District 7B
“When U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone was running for re-election in 1994 and the issue of motorized portages in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness divided the Iron Range, with challenger Rudy Boschwitz exploiting that division, Steelworkers’ General President Leo Girard visited Iron Range taconite plants and spoke of how important it was to re-elect Wellstone. With Girard at every plant and at the Carpenter’s Hall in Virginia was state Rep. Tom Rukavina.
Rukavina places a high value on loyalty, and his loyalty to Wellstone led to a heated exchange at one plant. Rukavina is now running for governor. Some have said he is too parochial, representing only his own district and uncaring about the rest of the state. Yet, as chairman of the House committee on higher education, he has forcefully advocated for tuition rates at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities that children of working families could afford. Also, Rukavina was principal author of a bill that increased the state’s minimum wage. Rep. Rukavina has never diverted from his working-class background or his support of others with like values. Gov. Rukavina wouldn’t either.”
GEORGE A. SUNDSTROM, DULUTH The writer is a retired union sheet metal worker. Published in the Duluth News Tribune, October 2, 2009
“Rep. Tom Rukavina is a candidate that has immense understanding of the issues affecting Minnesota citizens. He knows what needs to be done in order to fix the disarray caused by the current administration. Tom Rukavina embodies someone who can overcome personal as well as political challenges. He is what it means to be a Minnesotan; someone who works hard for his nieghbors and fellow citizens. It is time Minnesota reclaims the decency it once had and elects a leader who we all can trust to get the job done and to get it done right. We have a difficult road ahead, let’s hope that Tom Rukavina is at the helm to leads us through the tribulations.”
DANE CONRAD JENSON – Minnesota State University Moorhead College Democrats President
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