Letter: Ahlgren's record speaks volumes over Sundin

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To the Editor:

There is an open seat in the Minnesota House (District 11A), so voters have an important choice to make in the Aug. 14 DFL Primary. We have two candidates in the race – Cloquet Mayor Bruce Ahlgren or union activist Mike Sundin.

Bruce Ahlgren has been Cloquet’s mayor for the past 13 years. Before that, he served as president of the Cloquet School Board. Professionally, he was the Carlton County court administrator. He’s also been extremely involved in the community, serving the boards of the ARDC, the WLSSD, the United Way, and coaching youth hockey for over 20 years. With this extensive public service and deep roots, I know I can trust Bruce Ahlgren to understand the issues and be a strong advocate for our district.

Bruce Ahlgren is also a proven leader who gets results – he helped secure funds for the Cloquet Business Park and for indoor hockey arenas in Cloquet, Moose Lake and Carlton. He was asked by Governor Dayton to serve on the LGA Working Group that will make recommendations on tax reform. He was also recently elected the president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, an organization that works for fair property taxes and economic development opportunities for rural communities.

On the other hand, Mike Sundin is a labor and party activist. While much of his work is commendable, he does not have the record of service and accomplishment of Bruce Ahlgren. We need someone who cares about more than one issue and knows how to work to get things done.

To me, the choice on Aug. 14 is clear. I’m voting for Bruce Ahlgren and I recommend that you do the same!

Catherine Mattson, Cloquet

Tags: letters to the editor, election, opinion