GOEDKER: It's Koering's alleged liberal stance that prompted him to seek post

Kevin Goedker is frustrated that his primary challenge of Republican-endorsed Sen. Paul Koering is seen by some as being motivated by Koering's announcement last year that he was gay.

• Photos

The Brainerd City Council member said he considers Koering a friend and recalled sending an e-mail to the state senator in April 2005 consoling him at the time of Koering's announcement and saying that the disclosure made no difference regarding how he personally felt toward Koering.

It wasn't until people approached him about running and he started looking at Koering's record that he concluded the incumbent was "so far to the left." Before that, Goedker said he had bought into the opinion that the state senator had been doing a good job.

Goedker said his candidacy was an outgrowth of his own civic involvement, his experience as a U.S. Marine and his leadership on the Brainerd City Council and in other organizations.

Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls

"It only made sense," he said of his candidacy for the Legislature.

The two candidates face off in Tuesday's primary in a bid to represent the GOP in the Nov. 7 general election.

Koering, in Goedker's opinion, has not been fiscally conservative and has not always voted the way he said he would.

"I don't feel he's doing the job we sent him to St. Paul to do," Goedker said. "The fact that it took seven ballots ... (for Koering to win the endorsement) there was obviously support for me."

If Koering wins the GOP primary, Goedker said he would write in his own name in the general election because both the DFL candidate, Crow Wing County Commissioner Terry Sluss and Koering were too liberal. Goedker criticized Koering's stand on the Defense of Marriage Act, claiming no one's really sure where the incumbent stands.

Age: 34.

Residence: Brainerd.

Education: Brainerd High School, business classes at Central Lakes College and Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida and U.S. Marine Corps communications and electronics school in California.

Professional background: Real estate broker.

Endorsements: Taxpayers League of Minnesota, the Minnesota Citizens in Defense of Marriage, EdActionPAC.

Civic/community involvement: Brainerd City Council, Brainerd Sertoma Club (past secretary, past GEM Award, Past Rookie of the Year), Garfield PTA president, past president and co-founder of the Northeast Brainerd Resident Association, Brainerd Community Action Board, Brainerd School District Advisory Committee, past commander of the Heartland Attachment of the Marine Corps League, a member of the Character Initiative Council and involvement with the Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce, the Mid-Minnesota Builders Association and Park United Methodist Church.

In an Associated Press news story Goedker was quoted as saying that he would have trouble voting for someone who was gay. Last week he said he was misinterpreted and that his problem in voting for Koering was because of the lawmaker's stance on several issues, including spending,

Koering's sexual orientation, in Goedker's view, is a lifestyle that is blatantly against the Bible.

"Homosexuality is a sin but I don't judge him based on that," Goedker said. The Brainerd real estate broker said he's not perfect but he couldn't support someone who's proud of being a sinner. Similarly, he said, he couldn't support a straight person who was proud of committing sins.

"As an elected official he (Koering) shouldn't be practicing his beliefs in public," Goedker said.

His opponent's health care positions are socialistic, Goedker said - particularly a Koering proposal to expand MnCARE coverage to everyone under 18. Such a move, Goedker said, could multiply state expenses by 10 times.

"I think there's a better way to provide health care," Goedker said.

While Goedker said he favors affordable health care, that didn't mean government health care. He favors parts of the health care plan that was recently enacted in Massachusetts but objects to that state's mandate that everyone has to purchase health insurance.

Other criticisms Goedker has of Koering include votes for what the city council member terms "pork projects" and for a Twins stadium after the senator said he would only support the measure if it contained provisions for a referendum. He also cited Koering's low marks from the Taxpayer's League of Minnesota.

"He's continuously voting for minimum wage increases and increased pork spending," Goedker said.

Goedker said he was not sure how he would have voted on the Twins stadium because he didn't have all the information that an incumbent lawmaker had.

Two other issues he addressed were the high cost of higher education and the state's transportation needs.

He's hopeful the constitutional amendment earmarking transportation tax dollars for transportation projects passes in the general election and that that policy shift will free up more money.

"It takes money that's earmarked for transportation and puts it back where it should be," he said. "We see roads are always being worked on. It's a continual problem that requires money to do."

Goedker favors a cap on higher education tuition increases and would urge colleges to be more fiscally responsible.

Although he said his campaign against an incumbent has been an uphill battle, Goedker said he had no regrets about running and termed it a great experience.

MIKE O'ROURKE can be reached at mike.orourke@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5860.