(Northfield, October 17, 2012) The Dudley for State Senate campaign is pleased to announce that former Gov. Albert H. Quie has endorsed Mike Dudley for State Senate in District 20.  Both are Republicans. The announcement was made at a press conference in Northfield, MN on October 17, 2012. Gov. Quie and Dudley are both Northfield area natives.

Quie served as Governor of Minnesota from 1978-1982, following 11 terms in Congress.  Prior to his congressional career, he served in the Minnesota State Senate.  Gov. Quie currently resides in the Metro area and has a policy of not endorsing anyone for whom he cannot vote. Quie is making an exception in this case due to his long personal relationship with Dudley. Thirty-two years ago, Dudley and Quie made a 650 mile horseback trip along the Continental Divide in Montana and Wyoming. They have been friends ever since. Gov. Quie has advised Dudley in his campaign for State Senate.

Quie stated:  “I got to know Mike Dudley from our days on the trail and over campfire conversations. Our relationship has grown over the years.  I believe Mike Dudley will make an outstanding State Senator. As a person, I hold him I the highest regard. I respect his work ethic, integrity and common sense.  He is principled yet pragmatic enough to work with the other side when the public will benefit.  I know that Mike will never put partisanship or special interests in front of doing what is best for the district and state.  I agree with Mike’s common sense approach to government.  Don’t spend more than you take in; there are limits to what government can effectively do, so prioritize; government can’t work without a strong private sector, so pursue policies which grow the private sector.”

Dudley stated “Al Quie and I have been friends for a long time.  The chance to be publicly associated with him is an honor for me.  I have great admiration for Al, and if elected, I would aspire to be the kind of public servant that Al was.”

Thank you to everyone who came up to show their support for Mike Dudley for State Senate.  We had over 70 volunteers join us in the parade.  Wow!  Thank you New Prague for your warmth, enthusiasm and support!

His victory is a victory for all District 20 voters who wish to send someone with common sense conservative values to St. Paul in November. Mike Dudley is a Northfield native and 15 year New Prague area resident. He recently retired from the FBI after a 26-year career. Dudley and his campaign have already knocked on over 12,000 doors in the district, and he plans to continue that energetic grassroots style of campaigning. Dudley also noted that his fundraising numbers have been very good so far.

As always, thanks for your ongoing support!  Remember to vote on Tuesday, August 14th!

I think there are three things that really define a man: his family, his faith, and his career. Let me start with the least important of the three, my career. For 26 years I was an FBI Special Agent. Most of you have no idea what an FBI agent does. Believe me when I tell you that it is nothing like what is portrayed in the popular media. I was a criminal agent, meaning I carried a badge and a gun and spent my time investigating and arresting criminals such as drug dealers, gang members, bank robbers, child pornographers, kidnappers, embezzlers, con men and yes, crooked politicians! I was stationed in several different locations over my career and my work took me all over the country. It was sometimes exciting, sometimes boring, sometimes dangerous and many times routine. After being out of state for many years I was able to get a transfer so I spent my last 14 years working in Minnesota near the people and communities I love. Ten of those years were spent in Mankato working with local officers to protect the lives and property of the people in this area; for example, investigating bank frauds in Belle Plaine, bank robberies in Northfield, embezzlements in Le Center, the huge mortgage fraud involving New Prague, Lonsdale and Elko New Market, and a plot to blow up the courthouse in Rice County.

In law school I remember professors talking about how noble it was to use the law to protect the minority from the abuses of the majority. I chose another path. I wanted to protect the great majority who live within the law from that small minority who think the rules don’t apply to them. This was my passion, protecting my neighbors and our children from predators of all kinds. There were many rules and laws that I had to play by as a law enforcement officer; in that regard, my record was unblemished. I had hundreds of arrests, search warrants and confessions and none were ever found to be improper.

In the area of my personal life, it has been a mix of great joy and tragedy, just like everyone else. I found true love, married a wonderful woman, Tammy, and experienced one of the greatest thrills a man can have, hearing a child call you” Daddy”. Then cancer became an unwelcome guest at the Dudley home for 3 short years, and the day came I had to tell that child that his mama was going to die. Life must go when others depend on you, and I had the challenge of balancing work and home life, and bringing my cooking and cleaning skills up to speed as I experienced life as a single parent.

Faith is the most important of the forces that shape a person. It was during these times of tragedy and its aftermath that we were lifted up by our faith. The same faith in a loving God that sustained Tammy in her darkest hours, also sustained Kevin and I as we faced our new future. I might add that during these difficult times the existence of a loving God was evidenced clearly in the outpouring of love and support which was extended to us by caregivers, family, friends and even complete strangers. All goes well, Kevin is 16 now and a finer son and roomie cannot be found.

I am by nature and experience a private person and I am uncomfortable talking about myself. But I realize I have put myself in the public arena. I am asking you to choose me to represent your values in St Paul. I am asking you to vote for me, donate to me, and help me. Therefore beyond the list of political positions, it is right and proper that you know something more about me than just what I tell you my politics are. Feel free to contact with questions, comments, or offers of help. Thank you.

Mike Dudley

Dudley practiced law in Wisconsin for six years, including serving as the elected District Attorney of Lincoln County, Wisconsin. In 1985 Dudley entered on board as an FBI Special Agent. Dudley served in the FBI for 26 years, in Iowa, Illinois, and in Minnesota between 1997 and his retirement on April 30, 2011. Between 1999 and 2009, Dudley served in the Mankato FBI office where his duties included investigating Federal crimes in Rice and Le Sueur counties. Rice and Le Sueur counties comprise the bulk of Senate District 20. He is currently employed as an investigative consultant at Waypoint Inc. a consulting company in White Bear Lake Minnesota

Dudley has resided New Prague since 1997. He is a member of St. Wenceslaus and St. Patrick’s of Cedar Lake Churches and has been active in the New Prague community coaching youth baseball, youth hockey, and Scott County Adopt a Highway. Dudley has also maintained his strong ties to the Northfield community as he has been active in the Defeat of Jesse James Days as one of the James -Younger Gang for the past 15 years. Dudley is also a member of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol. Dudley noted that his ties to the area are deep, as the Dudley family first settled in the Shieldsville area in 1856.

Dudley resides with his 16-year-old son Kevin who is a sophomore at New Prague High School. Dudley’s wife Tammy, who was a Spanish teacher at New Prague high school, died in 2007.

Dudley stated “Current Republican majorities in the legislature have turned large deficits into surpluses, without raising taxes, and have Minnesota moving in the right direction. We need to continue to pursue those same policies of fiscal restraint and economic reinvigoration to create jobs. This is the way to a prosperous future for all Minnesotans. I believe the leadership and commitment I demonstrated during my 26 year law enforcement career as a FBI Special Agent will make me an effective voice advocating for common sense in St. Paul. I look forward to meeting many of you and listening to your concerns during the campaign”