2008 U.S. Senate Candidate Forum with Dean Barkley

The Polarization of Our Political Parties The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance hosted a series of public forums with the major party candidates for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat to foster informed and substantive discussion of important matters of public policy. The forums created an opportunity for the candidates to rise above the talking points and fractious back-and-forth of the campaign to address the important policy challenges facing Minnesota and the country. It also created a forum for students and citizens to listen and raise questions with the candidates. Dean Barkley grew up in Annandale, Minnesota. He received a bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Minnesota. Prior to entering government, Barkley practiced law and ran several small businesses. In 1992, Barkley helped found the Independence Party of Minnesota. After unsuccessful runs for congress and the U.S. Senate in 1994 and 1996, Dean managed the gubernatorial campaign of Jesse Ventura. When Ventura was elected governor, he appointed Dean the director of the Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning. Barkley was also a member of the bi-partisan group, Common Cause, and served on the Concord Coalition. Barkley also served as an advisory board member to the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. When incumbent Democrat Senator Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash in Oct. 2002, Gov. Ventura appointed Barkley as Wellstone's replacement for the remainder of the term through January 2003. Barkley won the U.S. Senate primary for the independence party on Sept. 9, 2008 to become the endorsed Independence candidate for Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat