Fritz is Back!
Walter Mondale wins in 2002.
Walter Mondale wins in 2002.
November 5th, 2002 was almost two years after incumbent President George W. Bush was elected the 43rd President alongside a Republican congress. 2002 was a big year for Democrats they sought to win back both chambers of congress and prevent and slow down the excesses of President Bush's policies. In the senate the margin was close and the Democrats were focused on swing states like Colorado, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Louisiana. However on October 25th only hours before the second senate debate in Minnesota, incumbent Senator Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash alongside seven others. By most margins he was expected to win re-election, his death wasn't just a loss for Minnesotans but also many Progressives in America who saw him as "the conscience of the Senate". With only days before election the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party had to find a new nominee and fast. By the urging of the Wellstone family Walter "Fritz" Mondale replaced Wellstone on the ticket as the Democratic nominee. Meanwhile Reform Party Governor Jesse Ventura dragged his feet on selecting a new senator until the next would take office in 2003. During this 11 day period between Wellstone's passing and the election polling and predictions were near impossible to judge as it could no longer predict either a Wellstone loss or victory. Republicans were hopeful that they could still win despite the loss of Wellstone as they relied on projections which showed a neck to neck finish. On November 4th, Jesse Ventura appointed Dean Barkley to the senate seat but this was seen as unimportant to everyone other than the Independence Party of Minnesota or Reform Party members.
Election night in America for 2002 was the first chance for the public to give their opinion on the first two years of Bush and GOP control of America. Democrats across the country prepared victory speeches which would highlight them as standing up to the status quo and taking back the reigns of power for a sensible nation. On the other side Republicans were optimistic that they'd keep their trifecta and that the feelings around 9/11, tax cuts, and education would keep them floating. For Minnesota their two options were Coleman and Mondale, Republican or Democrat, upstart or veteran. At the end of the night by a margin of 49, 451 votes Walter F. Mondale won the election over Norm Coleman.
Walter Mondale's victory lead to a 50 - 49 - 1 senate with the sole Independent (Jim Jeffords VT) caucusing with the Democrats which meant the senate was a 50-50 split but with the Republican vice-president the Republicans held a tie breaker. However this wasn't seen as a complete loss for the Democrats but they failed to win the House only receiving 205 seats. For Walter Mondale the night was seen as nothing short of a dream 18 years after his major loss to Reagan he was back in office. He thanked his supporters in his victory speech by saying this "tonight I return to the people of Minnesota not as a loser but a champion!". Mondale returned to his former seat 26 years after leaving to become Vice-President. Going into the 108th congress he was elected Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman a position originally expected to go to Paul Wellstone. In respects to that, after the election Mondale promised to be just as strong, progressive, and smart as Wellstone although no one ever doubted that. On December 10th, 2002 Mondale was invited to the White House to meet with President Bush who wanted to capture the moment although the men were on opposite sides of politics it was seen as a meeting of respect and congratulations. The highlight of the meeting was when Mondale said to the reporters "no one can debate my inexperience anymore".
Many in the media saw Mondale's return to politics as a possible big landmark in Bush's presidency and with that a possible sign of a big year for the Democrats either in 2003 or 2004. Democrats hoped that Mondale rejoining the senate could help pull Republican support for their efforts and maybe even derail some of the more conservative policies of Bush. Al Franken would gain a lot of attention after saying "Mondale returning to the senate will be the biggest failure of the Bush presidency" and "If Mondale can win in 2002, then I'm casting my vote for McGovern in 2004".
Last edited: