McFeely blog: Marquart, Eken have legislative opponents file just before deadline

071919.N.FF.WALZ.02.jpg — Sen. Kent Eken speaks as Reps. Paul Marquart and Ben Lien listen during a Minnesota legislative wrap-up session at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead on Thursday, July 18. David Samson / The Forum

By Mike McFeely

June 01, 2020 at 11:15 PM

DFL state legislators Paul Marquart and Kent Eken will have opponents on the Nov. 3 ballot after all.

On Monday, June 1, one day before the deadline, Republican candidates filed their intention to run with the Minnesota Secretary of State's office.

There was talk among local politicos that perhaps Marquart, who represents District 4B in the Minnesota House, and Eken, who represents District 4 in the state Senate, would run unopposed in the general election.

Brian Anderson of Detroit Lakes filed to run against Marquart and Mark Larson of Hawley will oppose Eken.

Marquart is seeking his 11th term in the House. He is the chair of the House tax committee and also sits on the Education Finance Division, the Property and Local Tax Division and Ways and Means committees.

Eken is seeking his third term in the Senate after being a state representative for 10 years. He currently serves on the following committees: Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance; Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Policy; Capital Investment and is the Ranking Minority Member on Family Care and Aging.

040519 n mcb mntaxes marquart.jpg — Minnesota House Tax Chairman Paul Marquart announces Monday, April 8, 2019, that Democrats want to tax foreign income earned by state corporations. Don Davis / Forum News Service

By Mike McFeely

Mike McFeely is a columnist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. He began working for The Forum in the 1980s while he was a student studying journalism at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He's been with The Forum full time since 1990, minus a six-year hiatus when he hosted a local radio talk-show.