Patty Wetterling

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Patty Wetterling (born November 2, 1949) is a U.S. advocate of children's safety, particularly focused on protecting children from abduction and abuse. Her advocacy began after her son was abducted in 1989. She was a candidate for the Minnesota Sixth District seat in the United States House of Representatives as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate in 2004 and 2006, losing to Republicans Mark Kennedy and Michele Bachmann respectively.

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[edit] Biography

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota and later moved to St. Joseph, Minnesota, where she raised four children with her husband Jerry. On October 22, 1989, their son Jacob Wetterling, then 11 years old, was abducted at gunpoint by a masked man. An extensive search was carried out, but Jacob and the abductor have not yet been found. Four months after the abduction, the Wetterlings founded the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to education about child safety. Recently, Patty sent a scathing letter to then Attorney General Alberto Gonzalas, decrying the dilution of sex offender registration laws and demanding that Congress and the Justice Department fix the flaws that their overzealousness caused. Specifically, on June 18, 2007 Mrs. Wetterling was interviewed on air with Minnesota Public Radio where she brought to light the numerous "Romeo and Juliet" offenders that now threaten to mire the registries into oblivion.[1] Patty found common ground with the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorney's and joined them in declaring the Adam Walsh Act as blatantly unconstitutional and contradictory to public safety.[2] On September 14, 2007, Wetterling reiterated her perception of the harm that sex offender laws are doing.[3]

[edit] Political career

In the 2004 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - 6th District she challenged incumbent Republican Mark Kennedy. Wetterling decided to enter the race after Stillwater, Minnesota lawyer Janet Robert withdrew. In 2004, Kennedy received 54% and Wetterling received 46%. In this race, she received a $1,000 donation from soon to be elected Senator Barack Obama, one of only 3 political contributions listed for Senator Obama [4].

Wetterling then entered the race for the U.S. Senate seat in 2006 that was vacated by Mark Dayton, who announced he was not seeking re-election. Wetterling withdrew from the race on January 20, 2006. Upon that announcement, she gave her endorsement to Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

After leaving the Senate race, Wetterling was publicly asked by Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch to run with him as Lieutenant Governor. Wetterling declined Hatch's offer. On February 3, 2006, Wetterling announced that she would once again run in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District, despite previous assurances that she would not do so[citation needed]. Wetterling's opponent for the DFL nomination was Elwyn Tinklenberg, former mayor of Blaine, Minnesota. A third DFL candidate, Scott Mortensen, dropped out several months prior.

On May 13, 2006, Wetterling won the DFL endorsement to face Republican state senator Michele Bachmann for the U.S. House seat in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District. Wetterling lost the general election to Bachmann, 50% to 42%.

Patty Wetterling at the 2004 Democratic Convention
Patty Wetterling at the 2004 Democratic Convention

[edit] Son's abduction

In 1999, for the 10th anniversary of Jacob's abduction, Patty Wetterling decided to write a letter to be published in a newspaper, for the abductor to read. Wetterling consulted the FBI for advice on how to word the letter. Minnesota area newspapers agreed to print it for her. In the letter, Wetterling asks the abductor if Jacob is still with him. The letter offers compassion for the abductor; Wetterling tells him all little boys, including when he was one, deserve to have a happy childhood. She tells him she's sorry if he did not and that she does not see him as an ugly, dirty, old man and hopes that if he ever goes fishing and catches something he cooks it for Jacob. She and her family are looking for answers, and only he can answer them. She wants to know what became of Jacob after the kidnapping. The letter generated some tips, but nothing substantial.

Also in early 2004, news reports circulated that new evidence is being considered in the abduction of her son. News outlets in the Twin Cities indicated that another boy had been assaulted not long before Jacob disappeared. Police were also ruling out the long-held belief that the abductor had gotten away in a car.

[edit] 2006 Congressional election

Main article: Minnesota 6th congressional district election, 2006
Source Date Wetterling (D) Bachmann (R) John Binkowski (I)
Star Tribune Minnesota Poll October 21, 2006 48% 40% 4%
Reuters/Zogby October 4, 2006 43% 46%
SurveyUSA September, 2006 41% 50% 5%

[edit] Electoral history

  • 2004 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - Minnesota 6th District

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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