Late Minnesota Senator Cited As ‘Inspiration’ For 2020

Sixteen years after his passing, the spirit of Senator Paul Wellstone looms large, as the nation prepares for the 2020 presidential campaign.

As the Twin Cities StarTribune reports, several of the candidates either considering a run for the White House or already in the running, cite the Minnesota Democrat as an "inspiration."

It was Sen. Wellstone who helped kickstart the political career of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, by encouraging her to run for office. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has cited Mr. Wellstone as a mentor. Former Vice President Joe Biden, consider my some a possible contender the the 2020 ticket, worked with the late senator for passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994.

As former associate Bill Lofty notes, much of Mr. Wellstone’s goals — universal health care, protecting the environment, campaign finance reform, ending violence against women — are increasingly part of the Democratic Party’s agenda.

The StarTribune says the David Wellstone, senator's son, hopes to use his father's memory to advance a progressive agenda next year.

Sen. Wellstone, who was elected to the senator's seat in 1990, died in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minn., on Oct. 25, 2002.

[Source: Minneapolis StarTribune]