If you live in eastern Wright County, or in the Hennepin County communities of Plymouth and Minnetonka, mark Nov. 22 on your calendar. That's the day for two special elections to fill two vacancies in the Minnesota Senate.

District 19
The special election in District 19 will fill a vacancy created by the resignation of incumbent Mark Ourada, a four-term Republican with an AFL-CIO voting record of 32 percent. This district in eastern Wright County includes the communities of Otsego, Albertville, St. Michael, Rockford, Delano, Montrose, Waverly, Maple Lake, Buffalo, and Clearwater.

Candidates in the race are John Dietering, a semi-retired businessman who has the DFL and labor endorsements; Del Haag, a Buffalo City Council member who has been endorsed by the Independence Party; and Amy Koch, endorsed by the Republican Party.

District 43
The special election in District 43, which includes Plymouth and Minnetonka, will fill a vacancy created by the resignation of first-term incumbent David Gaither, whose AFL-CIO voting record is 8 percent. The candidates are Terri Bonoff, a former business executive and Minnetonka civic activist who is DFL and labor-endorsed; and Plymouth Mayor Judy Johnson, the Republican candidate.

Union votes can make a difference
Voter turnout generally is low in special elections, which tend to favor Republicans. But both Senate districts are home to significant numbers of union members.

"It's our opportunity to get someone in there who will support labor most of the time," said Brad Lehto, political director for the Minnesota AFL-CIO.

The DFL-controlled Senate "has been very open and communicative with labor," Lehto noted. "Adding two more seats is going to set them up to retain control for another four years after the general election" in November 2006, he said.