Dennis Newinski: The Accidental Warrior

I’ve been head-down on work and family stuff this past week, so I’m mortified to see that I didn’t catch this until today; Dennis Newinski passed away two weeks ago.

Former state legislator Dennis Newinski was a man who had strong beliefs, a positive outlook on life and a vision about what was important. He also had an inspiring personality, sincerity and common sense.

As a blue-collar worker, Newinski had no political aspirations, but many felt he would be the perfect candidate and asked the longtime union machinist to run for office, said his wife of 43 years, Sharie.

Newinski won a seat in the Minnesota House in 1990 and nearly made his way to Washington, D.C., in 1994 as a representative from the state’s Fourth Congressional District. That year he nearly beat incumbent Bruce Vento in a district that had long been held by Democrats.

It’s a sad irony that Mesothelioma claimed both Mr. Newinski and Vento, the former CD4 congressman against whom he campaigned. 

I knew Dennis from CD4 politics for many years.  Sharp and astute, a great conservative as well as Republican, Dennis was the last Republican to make a genuine go of it in the Fourth.  For a guy who – as the Strib notes – was a blue-collar working stiff who’d not been grooming himself for politics his whole life, Dennis was both a refreshing change from the masses of canned DFL hacks that dominate the east metro, and, despite all that, a sharp, impassioned, convincing speaker who had a natural knack for connecting with people. 

He was also the kind of guy that I suspect the Fourth District GOP would have a very hard time recruiting to run at all, these days.

The state, and especially the East Metro, need a lot more like him.  He is sorely missed.

2 thoughts on “Dennis Newinski: The Accidental Warrior

  1. I lived in the 4th for about 5 years in the 90s and the Newinskis were revered. Denny was the closest we’d come in years to taking the 4th and it was easy to see why. He fit the district at that time very well, which is to say, conservative (whether DFL or R) and blue collar.

    The point you raise about mesothelioma is an interesting one. Denny worked in industrial settings his whole career so you would guess his risk would be higher. Vento only worked summer jobs in factories (since he was going to college and law school). Vento was supremely unlucky

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