In April, Donald declared his candidacy for the Minnesota House of Representatives. The next eight months were a fascinating learning experience in self-government. Our district includes West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Mendota, part of South-St. Paul and the northern tip of Eagan. Donald walked most of it, knocking on thousands of doors. He quickly learned that the job is too big for one person alone. As the months went by, he was joined by a team of wonderful volunteers. The campaign gave him the opportunity to discuss important issues with lots of local residents. We were impressed with the civility of total strangers, even those who strongly disagreed with his views. We also learned that there is a vast diversity of opinions on the issues, with more facets to each issue than we could have imagined.

Although Donald did not win the seat he sought, we count the campaign a success because it generated valuable discussions of important questions. Donald garnered just under 42% of the vote--not a bad showing for a first-timer.

VIEW DON LEE CAMPAIGN VIDEO (short)