Day backs Parry for District 26 Senate seat on Owatonna

WASECA — On Tuesday, his 57th birthday, Mike Parry received the endorsement of State Sen. Dick Day whose District 26 Senate seat Parry hopes to fill.

Day, R-Owatonna, spent the day traveling the district with Parry, the Waseca resident and GOP candidate who will face Independence Party candidate Roy Srp, also of Waseca, and Democrat-Farmer-Labor candidate Jason Engbrecht of Faribault in the Jan. 26 special election.

“What we need is jobs and economic development. We need people who know the business field,” Day said. “People should look at who can best give us some jobs.”

Parry said getting jobs and cutting spending are the two messages he hears the most as he campaigns throughout the district.

“I’m surely behind Mike,” Day said. He said it takes energy to fill the Senate seat and, in the current economic times, it is critical to elect the right people.

“Mike’s good on his feet. He has all the things you need to be a good state senator,” said Day.

Politics is a tough business, he said, and the upcoming legislative session will be difficult because of a state deficit of $1.2 billion.

Since he returned to the Waseca area in 1997, Parry said, he has followed Day and loved what he did as the district’s state senator.

“He thinks on his own and doesn’t follow party lines,” Parry said. “I’m following the same line; I’m not politically correct and I’m not afraid to say what I think,” he said.

Parry said he will continue to represent every city in District 26 as Day has since 1990.

Day acknowledged that by leaving the Senate to pursue a lobbying position with Racino Now, he is responsible for the short campaign under way and the special election to replace him. But, Day said, he has introduced racino at the legislature every two or three years since 1997 and decided this has to be the year to get something done.

“So, I’m backing him,” he said of Parry.

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Member Opinions: By: Mike on 1/6/10 "But, Day said, he has introduced racino at the legislature every two or three years since 1997 and decided this has to be the year to get something done. 'So, I’m backing him,' he said of Parry." I'm hoping this is just a misrepresentation of what Senator Day said. It sounds unfortunately as if he believes that, by his leaving the Senate, he will "get something done." It also seems to suggest that he is backing Mr. Parry to advance his new career and its (previously and repeatedly) unsuccessful agenda. Is this bad reporting (as I prefer to think) or is this endorsement that self-serving? By: pookah on 1/6/10 No... Dick Day promised to support whomever came out of the convention as the nominee. I am sure he considers it an obligation to the party and help them keep the seat. By: Mike on 1/6/10 That is, at best, a rather lukewarm endorsement and seems to belie Mr. Parry's declaration that he "thinks on his own and doesn’t follow party lines.” The two articles about Mr. Parry in today's OPP raise unfortunate questions. By: O.Tool on 1/6/10 I'm just surprised that a 20-year GOP State Senator would endorse a Republican. Alert the media! Oh, wait. I guess they already did. By: igor74 on 1/6/10 What else would Dick do? He wants to keep them doors open so he can lobby the beejeezus out of his former colleagues. I wonder who the sugar daddies are behind Racino Now? Must be people with the serious money needed to lubricate the skids in St. Paul.
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