MinnPost photo by Terry Gydesen

Members of the reNew.mn delegation listen to delegation leaders at a meeting Friday night.

DULUTH — While other DFL delegates were heading off for dinner or planning the party circuit Friday night in Duluth, about 100 members of the new "it" delegation — reNew.mn — were attending class.

The group, which includes many first-time delegates, met in a Radisson Hotel ballroom and listened to leaders give a rundown of the logistics of today's balloting for the party's endorsement for governor. And they were urged to stick together as a cohesive unit that could have some major impact in the late-day voting.

Their plan: In the early ballots they've agreed to vote for one of the three candidates that the group has decided best fit their vision of a progressive leader, one who will "work with a powerful economic, social, racial justice movement to implement our shared vision." They say that politics should be about improving people's lives. And not just rich people.

Those three candidates are R.T. Rybak, Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Paul Thissen.

The deal is that reNewers can vote for any of the three in the early ballots, but at some point, as the field thins out, the group plans to meet and decide when to throw all of their support to one of the three, hoping they will be able to tip the scales and assure one of their champions gets the nomination.

It will take 60 percent of the group to determine which of the three gets the nod.

Members have pledged to go along with the plan, even signing their names on giant posters hung on the ballroom walls. 

And when they made the pledge, they were given orange wristbands to identify them when the group gets called off the convention floor sometime today — or early tomorrow morning — to make their decision on whom to support.

(During the question-and-answer session last night, someone wondered if the wristbands will hold up during a shower. Yes, they will. They're waterpark wristbands and will last all weekend.)

After the instruction period last night, most members of the group stayed in the room to drink and chat. All three of their candidates eventually showed up during the evening to make a last pitch for support, and all three were greeted with cheers of support.

Will the groups stick together in the thick of battle? That's the big question.

Erik Peterson, a veteran convention organizer, is running the floor for the group and thinks they will be a cohesive unit

He urged them to wear comfortable shoes and bring juice and food for what is to be a marathon session today.

Dan McGrath, executive director of the group Take Action Minnesota, which is nurturing the reNew group, said some in the party see the movement as an opportunity, while others see it as a threat. He thinks it will be good for the DFL.

"But after 24 years of losing elections, it's insane to keep doing the same thing and expect to win," he said.

What if, when the group meets to decide on which of the three to support, they can't agree? Leaders say they'll return to the floor, and maybe later in the process give it another try.

Elsa Bullard of Minneapolis is a first-time delegate and signed the reNew pledge last night.

"I like the approach of focusing on values, rather than the candidate. She's supporting Rybak in the early going, but is willing to change if the group decides on one of the others. And she's says she'll keep working with the group after the convention, supporting the reNew candidate (if one of them is endorsed) or working for progressive causes.

Phil Steger, a reNEW delegate from St. Paul, likens the fledgling group to the basketball team in the movie "Hoosiers." It's scrappy, but untested. They believe in themselves.

"Maybe they don't win right away, but they keep practicing jump shots in the driveway." And ultimately prevail.

"We want people to go home and build on this when it's over. To feel empowered and to choose values and principles first, and candidates last."