Adam Duininck short on experience, long on DFL politics

Senator Michelle Benson criticized Gov. Dayton’s choice to lead the Metropolitan Council with the following statement:

“I’m not convinced Adam Duininck will focus his efforts on the true transportation needs of people throughout the entire metro region. People want to drive to and from their destinations as quickly and safely as possible, not shovel more money into failed rail projects. The Met Council needs a leader who will shake up the agency and refocus its priorities, but it appears Duininck will deliver more of the same.”

Senator Benson also called into question Duininck’s ability to effectively lead the regional planning agency considering his partisan political background. Duininck is currently the Executive Director of WIN Minnesota, an organization that raised and spent over $6 million for Mark Dayton and other DFL candidates since 2007. He is also married to Dayton‘s Chief of Staff Jaime Tincher.

“Gov. Dayton needs to widen his search for qualified people to lead his administration. Minnesotans should be very concerned that people at the highest levels of his administration are married to people who ran his reelection enterprise,” said Senator Benson. “Where does campaigning end and governing begin in the Dayton Administration? Senate Republicans will take a long hard look at Mr. Duininck’s qualifications as part of the confirmation process this session.”

In addition to Tincher and Duininck, Dayton’s Deputy Chief of Staff Bob Hume is married to Carrie Lucking, the Policy Research and Outreach Director for Education Minnesota and former Executive Director for the Alliance for a Better Minnesota. Another former Deputy Chief of Staff, Jenn O’Rourke, is married to Ken Martin, the Chair of Minnesota DFL Party and former Executive Director of WIN Minnesota. O’Rourke was recently appointed Director of Community Relations at the Met Council.