The Candidates
Lawyer and State Representative, Keith Ellison (born August 4, 1963), was the Democratic candidate and winner of the election. The Detroit native is the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress. He is also the first African American elected to the House from Minnesota. In 2002, Ellison was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives for District 58B, where he served two terms.
Business consultant Alan Fine (born 1962), was the Republican nominee. A Minneapolis native, Fine graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with an MBA. He currently heads Fine Enterprises, a consultancy group assisting businesses in management, investment banking, and business plan implementation.
Fine also taught at the Carlson School of Management for over a decade, earning several honors. In addition, he founded the Entrepreneurship Club at the University of Minnesota along with several students. Fine's campaign centered around his frequent criticism for Ellison's past involvement with the Nation of Islam. His campaign motto was "Fiscally Prudent, Socially Responsible, Proud to be an American!"
The Independence Party nominated Golden Valley businesswoman Tammy Lee (born 1971). Lee worked in the travel industry for several years, she is most known for her time with Sun Country Airlines, where she was named "Corporate Woman of Achievement" by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Her political background includes serving as the communications director for Skip Humphrey's gubernatorial bid in 1998 and acting as U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan's press secretary. Lee campaigned as a moderate alternative to Ellison and promised to caucus with the Democrats if elected.
Green Party candidate, Jay Pond (born May 25, 1959) rounded out the field. A South Dakota native, Pond graduated from Augustana College in 1981 with a degree in political science. In 2002, he was the Green Party endorsed candidate for US Congress in California's 8th district (San Francisco). He picked up 6% of the vote against incumbent Nancy Pelosi.
By 2004, Pond had moved to Minneapolis where he again received the Green Party endorsement for US Congress. He received 6% of the vote, this time against Martin Sabo in the 5th District.
Read more about this topic: Minnesota's 5th Congressional District Election, 2006
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