The third time is the charm for U.S. House candidate Dennis Newinski.
As the Republican candidate for Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District, Newinski told College Republicans on Wednesday evening that he is not intimidated by 22-year veteran incumbent Rep. Bruce Vento.
He attributes his confidence to the high level of name recognition in his district. More significantly, he said, he defeated the late Dick Kostohryz, 1990’s DFL incumbent in state House district 54B.
“It is doable,” Newinski said.
A St. Paul resident for more than 30 years, Newinski is a machinist for Northern States Power Co.
As a congressman, he said, he will work to eradicate what he called inefficiencies and poor spending habits in the federal government.
“I have to live within my means,” Newinski said. “The government should have to do the same.”
About 30 students listened as Newinski described his strongly family-oriented legislative agenda.
“I think the best department of education we have is the family right now,” he said, not government programs and agencies.
As a legislator, he said, he will propose tax-exempt educational savings accounts for families sending their children to college.
During his tenure as state representative in 1991 and 1992, Newinski voted nine times to lower taxes and lobbied to decentralize education.
Newinski added that in spite of Vento’s campaign advertisements blasting Newinski’s alleged approval of gun deregulation, he will lobby actively for strict gun control and jail sentences for firearms-related crimes.
Although Newinski only spoke to the group as a whole for about 10 minutes, several students started animated discussions with the candidate afterwards. Subjects such as U.S. foreign policy and immigration were some of the topics Newinski discussed with the students.
But on a more whimsical note, he told some students how the similarity between his surname and that of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky has given the campaign an unfortunate edge.
He has encountered campaign signs on which his last name is altered, he said, and at one point he received a campaign contribution check addressed to “Lewinsky for Congress.”
“It’s Newinski, not Lewinsky — and Monica’s not related,” he said, laughing.
Newinski, who has appeared at several College Republicans meetings during his past political campaigns, garnered strong support from the students.
“I’ve heard him just about every time he’s been with us,” said Jennifer Domholt, a senior political science major. “He’s very moving.”
Although he agrees with Newinski’s political ideas, freshman finance major Skylar Weinand said he thinks three times up to bat is too many.
“I don’t really agree with him running again,” Weinand said. “But he’s a really good guy and I hope he wins.”