While the GOP SD15 convention was a rather bland affair, it appears the DFL had themselves a bit of a donnybrook at their convention. While endorsing the two incumbents for re-election, nobody got the endorsement yet for the potentially vacant 15A House seat. For my non-St. Cloud readers, a little background. District 15A is Jim Knoblach's district, which he last won in 2004 against Anne Nolan. Nolan wishes to run again, but apparently the DFLers in attendance were not interested in picking someone just yet, waiting as the GOP is to see if Knoblach should vacate the seat to run for the Congressional seat. Nolan knows that a vacant seat would bring more interest in the DFL nomination and of course wanted to foreclose that possibility by nomination yesterday. Alas it was not to be for her. Most of the posters on this board -- and indeed many of the Times chats -- were at the DFL convention and one writes,

First they attempted to postpone the vote for endorsement all together, which failed. Then to further the insult to both Anne and the 15A delegates, they marched out 3 other "candidates" at the last minute. I'm dissapointed to say that the second effort succeeded in throwing off the whole endorsement process. I've never been so disgraced by the DFL.

The several references to Ms. Stealth would seem to indicate the candidate-in-the-wings is female. Someone has even named a school board member as the candidate-in-waiting.

But what interests me is that the DFL takes seriously enough Knoblach's potential to win that they risk dissension over the possibility of his seat opening. That such efforts were taken should indicate an informed forecast of Knoblach's chances at winning the nomination.