The holiday season is a respite from political drama for most Minnesotans, a break between the constant campaign ads of election season and the policy fights awaiting the next governor and Legislature in early January.
But for those working on the transition of power between Gov. Mark Dayton and Gov.-elect Tim Walz, the two months after Election Day are crunch time. They are trying to hire 22 state agency commissioners who will help enact major policy changes and reflect the values Walz campaigned on: inclusivity and bringing a diverse range of voices into the Capitol. The commissioners also need to withstand a Senate confirmation process.
"We're all giving it our all, because you have this narrow window of time to set this administration up for success," Walz's Chief of Staff Chris Schmitter said.
Walz will be sworn in Jan. 7 in a transition that will be unique in Minnesota's history.
Since the formation of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in 1944, a DFL candidate has never won an election following another DFL governor. The executive branch has swung back and forth between parties, apart from 1976 — when Gov. Wendell Anderson left the job to become a U.S. senator and his Lt. Gov. Rudy Perpich slid into the state's top political post for the rest of Anderson's second term.
Whether a number of Dayton appointees will keep their jobs remains to be seen. All applicants must send in their qualifications through the same process, said Kristin Beckmann, who is leading Walz's transition team for state agencies. Her goal is to get all the commissioners in place by Jan. 7.
Then the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans 34-33, essentially has veto power over the governor's choices. Commissioners can start their work as soon as Walz takes office, but the Senate will be watching and could later oust them during the confirmation process.
Senators typically confirm commissioners in the final month or so of the legislative session, which concludes the third week in May. But they could go through the process earlier if they consider a commissioner a bad fit, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, said.