The race for the expanded Senate District 27 has one more hat in the ring with the official announcement of former news anchor Terry Kelley as a contender for the seat.

Wednesday, April 10, 2002

The race for the expanded Senate District 27 has one more hat in the ring with the official announcement of former news anchor Terry Kelley as a contender for the seat.

Kelley has a recognizable face in the southeastern Minnesota area, having presented news for the past five years on KAAL-TV’s morning show.

He is seeking the Democratic endorsement for the seat currently held by Sen. Grace Schwab, R-Albert Lea, and is a familiar face in Democratic circles because of his work as a volunteer on a number of the party’s campaigns.

In his bid for the seat, Kelley is calling on the state’s leaders to &uot;think outside the box&uot; to solve the issues affecting Minnesotans.

Kelley, who points to his strong work ethic and love of education, was the first in his family to attend college, studying mass communications and Business administration at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa.

A union member and a believer in the importance of organized labor, he worked at a union grocery store during college, stocking shelves and unloading trucks.

His broadcast background includes working as a disc jockey and a talk show host as well as a broadcast journalist. He left his television job earlier this year after he filed as a candidate for the Senate seat.

Kelley lives in Austin with his wife, Shauna, and their two children, Meagan, 9, and Carrie, 17.

Senate District 27 covers all of Freeborn and Mower counties, as well as a small portion of southwestern Fillmore County.