Mehring Ends Campaign for Congress, Will Return to CaringBridge

Eagan resident Sona Mehring announced earlier in April that she planned to run for Minnesota's Second Congressional seat.

Just weeks after she announced that she would campaign against Rep. John Kline (R) in Minnesota's Second Congressional District, Eagan resident and CaringBridge founder Sona Mehring has abruptly ended her campaign. As part of her campaign for Congress, Mehring initially made the decision to resign—a decision she appeared to regret in a news release issued Tuesday. Although her campaign had received "tremendous" support, Mehring said that her true passion lay with CaringBridge, a nonprofit she founded in 1997, and that her work there was not done. Read Mehring's full statement below: Dear Friends, As I set out on my campaign for Congress, there was a yearning to serve my country and the people in my community in a new way. This meant …

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Week in Review: Congressional Race Heats Up, Pushup Abuse Case, 'Castle' For Sale

Each Sunday, Eagan Patch takes a moment to look back at the headlines from the previous week.

BLOGS: BUSINESS: COMMUNITY: GOVERMENT: PUBLIC SAFETY: SCHOOLS: SPORTS:

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VIDEO: It's Official, Obermueller Seeks 2014 Rematch Against Kline

Mike Obermueller, who was defeated by incumbent Rep. John Kline (R) in the race for the Second Congressional District last fall, says he's game for a rematch.

Eagan resident Mike Obermueller announced on Wednesday that he will seek a rematch against incumbent Rep. John Kline (R). But first, the former state representative will have to overcome another Democratic challenger: Sona Mehring. "I proud of the work we did last year in our run for Congress; we ran a positive, competitive campaign," Obermueller said in a video announcement posted to Youtube. "On the farm where I grew up, i learned pretty early on that you don't quit working until the job is done, and the job of getting a better representative in this district is far from over." Obermueller, a former state representative, ran against Kline in the 2012 election, following a congressional redistricting process made Kline's traditionally …

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CaringBridge Founder Sona Mehring Will Challenge Kline in 2014

The Eagan resident announced her candidacy early this week.

Eagan resident and CaringBridge founder Sona Mehring says she's sick of gridlock and career politicians. Which is why Mehring announced early this week that she plans to challenge Second Congressional District Rep. John Kline (R) in 2014. Mehring, a newcomer on the political scene, isn't the only Democrat with her sights set on Kline; Mike Obermueller, who was defeated by Kline in the 2012 election, will likely announce his candidacy later this week, according to the Star Tribune. Kline received 54.01 percent of the total votes cast in the 2012 election to Obermueller's 45.85 percent. Mehring, who founded CaringBridge in 1997, has a long litany of awards and accomplishments, including recognition as one of the "Most Influential Women in …

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Local Group Takes Their Fight for Public Art to Eagan City Council

A letter from the Dakota Center for the Arts urging the council to promote public art at two large commercial developments in Eagan sparked a wider conversation last week.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter| Blog for us One local arts organization wants to see more high-impact public art pieces in the community, and they've asked the Eagan City Council to take up their cause. Earlier this year, the Dakota Center for the Arts (DCA) sent a letter to council members urging them to include public art in any new commercial development projects in the city—including two large redevelopment efforts already underway in Eagan's Cedar Grove neighborhood and at the former Lockheed Martin property. While city staff and council members were reluctant to make public art a requirement for developers currently pursuing projects in the city, the request sparked a larger …

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Election 2012

Election 2012: Kline Beats Obermueller to Retain Congressional Seat

Incumbent Republican John Kline defeated Democrat Mike Obermueller by more than 8 points to keep his seat in congress.

Rep. John Kline (R-Lakeville) is going back to Washington, D.C. Kline defeated Democratic challenger Mike Obermueller by more than 8 points on Nov. 6. With each of the 291 precincts reporting, Kline received 193,587 votes, or 54.01 percent of the total votes cast. Obermueller received 164,335, or 45.85 percent. Patch will have more on this race in the coming days.

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Kline on Defensive in First Debate with Obermueller

The two sparred in an on-air debate hosted by MPR on Monday morning. It was the first and only debate in the Second Congressional District race.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us Second Congressional District challenge Mike Obermueller (DFL) lobbed plenty of criticism at incumbent Rep. John Kline (R) during the first and only debate between the two candidates on Monday morning. Obermueller, who is seeking to unseat Kline in the newly competitive congressional district, called the five-term legislator part of a "broken system" during the hour-long debate, which was aired by MPR and moderated by host Kerri Miller. "John, you’ve voted 95 or 96 percent of the time with your party, that’s more partisan than Michele Bachmann," Obermueller said. “The system is hopelessly broken, the way you guys are running it now." Click …

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Sun Thisweek Endorses Obermueller in Second Congressional District Run

The Democratic candidate running against incumbent Rep. John Kline (R) is less ideological and more respectful of voters' views, Sun Thisweek writes.

VIDEO: Obermueller Ad Compares Washington D.C. to Overstaffed Pizza Parlor

Eagan resident Mike Obermueller, a Democrat running against incumbent Rep. John Kline (R), spent approximately $150,000 on the ad.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us Second Congressional District challenger Mike Obermueller, a Democrat, released his first televised campaign advertisement earlier this week. The ad, which cost the Obermueller campaign $150,000 to run, draws a tongue-in-cheek comparison between Washington D.C. and an overstaffed, inefficient pizza parlor. Obermueller, an Eagan resident, is campaigning against incumbent Rep. John Kline (R). "Democrats don’t want to cut wasteful spending and Republicans are just as wasteful when they want more tax breaks for millionaires," Obermueller said in the advertisement.

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Obermueller's "Working For You" Tour Making Stop in Eagan

Democrat Mike Obermueller, a resident of Eagan, is running against incumbent Rep. John Kline.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us Second Congressional candidate Mike Obermueller will be hosting a meet-and-greet Thursday at the Gramercy Park Cooperative in Eagan. The meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m., is open to the public. A former state legislator who represented the seat once held by Tim Pawlenty, Obermueller lives in Eagan with his wife and two teenage sons. He volunteers at St. Thomas Becket Catholic Church, as a youth basketball coach and is an active member of the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Obermueller, a Democrat, is running against incumbent Rep. John Kline (R) for control over the congressional district. For more information on this race and …

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