Northfield's Kevin Dahle to Run for Minnesota Senate in 2012

Kevin Dahle on Sunday announced on his website that he is running for the Minnesota Senate in 2012 to "reclaim a voice for the people of SD25."

DFLer Dahle last year lost the Senate District 25 seat, which he held from 2008-2010, to Repubican Al DeKruif, of Madison Lake.

In the 2010 election that saw the DFL party lose control of the Legislature to the Republican Party, DeKruif, a businessman, received 15,272 votes, or 44.66 percent of the votes cast in the SD25 race. Dahle received 14,387 votes, or 42.07 percent of the votes. Independent John A. Grimm received 4,516 votes, or 13.21 percent of the votes.

Dahle, a Northfielder and teacher at , carried the city with 67 percent of the vote.

"This election is not about getting my 'old seat back.' This election is about reclaiming a voice for Senate District 25 and all Minnesotans," Dahle wrote on his website. "The current party in power in the Minnesota legislature fails to listen. This past summer’s government shutdown proved they are more concerned about their party platform than the constituents who elected them. I worry about the tone of today’s politics and our basic priorities."

It's possible that Dahle and DeKruif, if he runs to retain a seat in the Senate, may not face each other in the 2012 election. Every 10 years following the US Census, to equally distribute voters to reflect the new population. Some early drafts show DeKruif would be moved out what is now called District 25 and , though it's early in the process and a lot is still up in the air.

The candidate filing period for the state primary and general election opens May 22, 2012.

What do you think are Dahle's chances to reclaim a seat in the Minnesota Senate?