The following are e-mail responses from other legislators who were unable to make it to the get-together. The responses include comments from state Sen. Dan Sparks, former District 27A House Rep. Dan Dorman, and 1st District Congressman Tim Walz.

Q: What years have you served and where did you serve?

Sparks: “I was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2002 and have been representing Freeborn, Mower, and part of Fillmore County since then.”

Dorman: “I was elected in November of 1998 and served from January of 1999 until December of 2006.”

Walz: I was first elected in 2006 and took office in January of 2007. I am now serving my second term, which started in January of 2009.

Q: How did you get into the Legislature?

Sparks: “It may sound ‘corny’ but after the attacks of 9/11, I wanted to serve my country and my fellow Minnesotans. At about the same time, I was encouraged by outgoing Rep. Rob Leighton and his wife to run for his seat in the House of Representatives. Even though I had never run for public office before, I decided it was worth the effort. It was a short-termed run for the House because almost immediately, I was asked to run for the Senate instead and switched my goals.

Dorman: “Lots of hard work by lots of really good people. Looking back, the key to my first election was that we were able to put together a hard-working and talented group of volunteers. We were organized and motivated. This group included my family, but also a group of 12 other people who gave up over 100 hours each that summer and fall.”

Q: What motivated you to seek election?

Sparks: “Working every day during that campaign to meet and talk to the people of this area made a huge impact on my life. Even though I had been a lifelong resident of District 27, I learned a lot about the diversity of the district.”

Dorman: “Two things. One, I had always wanted to serve. It had been a dream and goal since a sixth-grade tour of the Capitol. Two, I had become increasingly active in state and local politics through working with the Albert Lea and Minnesota Chamber. It seemed like a natural progression.”

Walz: “I was motivated to run for Congress by a strong desire to change the direction our country was heading. When I ran for office the first time, Iraq and DM&E were major issues. Today, the economy is the issue at the forefront of most people’s minds.”

Q: Is/Was it like you thought it would turn out to be or is/was it different?

Sparks: “Rather than focus on the differences, I chose to follow a path of trying to find the common ground — and it was successful. I was the only DFL candidate to defeat an incumbent that year.

“Since then I have continued working with others to find common ground together by listening to all sides of an issue, weighing the various concerns and going forward with a position that has involved compromise and understanding.”

Dorman: “What surprised me the most about my years of service is the concentration of power in the hands of a few and most members’ willingness to ‘go along to get along,’ which many times was at odds with what was best for their district.”

Walz: “I had never served in any other elected office before, so I didn’t know what to expect. It is much harder than I thought it would be to be in Washington, D.C., all week, away from my wife and my two children. However, being in Congress is also a great opportunity for lifelong learning. Every day I talk to experts who share information and theories I’ve never considered. I love to learn and this is a great job for that!”

Q: How do you/did you go about forming your decisions for votes?

Sparks: “When I must make a decision on an issue, I listen to as many constituents as I can, read a lot about the issue, meet with experts on the topic and discuss the issue with my fellow legislators — Democrats and Republicans alike.”

Dorman: “I am not sure there is one way. But in general, I would find out as much as I could. In Minnesota, legislators have a wealth of information at their disposal, if they choose to use it. Nonpartisan House research is an invaluable tool for background information and data on issues. Plus, it is important to talk to people, on both sides of an issue, at the Capitol and at home. I think my having a retail store helped to keep me grounded in the views of my district.”

Walz: “There is a saying some of the senior members of Congress shared with me during my first days. When making a decision about how to vote, first consult your conscience, then your constituency, then your caucus. Sometimes it’s clear how to vote. For example, voting to increase the minimum wage was a no-brainer. But when it comes to more complicated issues, I put the shared values of southern Minnesota and the input I hear from the citizens first. I put the preferences of my party last. I think that’s how it should be for all lawmakers.”

Q: What are/were some of the most challenging aspects of the position?

Dorman: “The time. It is supposed to be a part-time job, thus allowing more people the opportunity to serve. In fact, going back over a few decades, the Legislature met every two years. The job of state representative or senator now is a full-time job. This is going to limit the number of people who are able to serve.”

Walz: “I represent 700,000 people. It’s challenging to get feedback from so many people, but I do everything I can to make sure I’m accessible and that I hear from people either in public, by phone, e-mail, letter or some other method.”

Q: What are/were some of the most rewarding aspects of the position?

Sparks: “It is deeply rewarding to help constituents who have contacted me with problems. It is also a great honor to represent the fine people of this area.”

Dorman: “It was the best education in the world. I will never forget in my first year commenting to House research staff on the tax committee, I said I feel like I should send the state a check since I was learning more than I did at the university. She responded by saying they thought freshman should get paid more since they were still willing to learn. One key to life is to never stop learning.”

Walz: “It’s truly rewarding to know I helped someone. My staff and I spend long hours fighting the bureaucracy on behalf of constituents. Too often, our government wrongly denies citizens the veterans benefits, Social Security benefits or other things to which they are entitled. When we can intervene and make those situations right, it is incredibly rewarding for me.

Q: What are/were some of your most satisfying moments of the position? Any regrets?

Dorman: “The most satisfying moment is hard to pick, other than to say, I served. Hard not to look back at our state’s long history of public service and not feel a sense of pride for being a part of it.

“I was the chair of the Capital Investment Committee for my last two years. And since in the year prior to my being chair the Legislature was unable to pass a bill, our committee assembled and passed two major bills, both of which received wide bipartisan support.”

Walz: “It’s satisfying to know that more kids will have good health care because of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program expansion we are going to pass. I watch my 2 year old when he has an earache, and it breaks my heart that some parents might have to delay taking their kids to the doctor because they can’t afford it. Because we’ll expand SCHIP, more kids will be able to go to the doctor when they need to.”

Q: How do you feel you are doing/have done in office?

Dorman: “I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to serve. I was in office during some very interesting and challenging times. I was elected the same day as Gov. Ventura and came in with a huge surplus. I went out at a time of a budget deficit.”

Walz: “I feel like I’m off to the right start. It’s a big district and I still have a lot I hope to learn about our communities and the great people of southern Minnesota, but I’m proud of how hard I’ve worked to get out there and meet folks where they’re at.”

Q: Do you think there are any misceptions that members of the public have about elected officials?

Sparks: “There are common misconceptions about politicians — most involve a belief that politicians promise all kinds of things but then never deliver. This could be fueled by the fact that when you are running for office, you have grand ideas and plans you would like to fulfill, but when you arrive at the Capitol, you discover you are just one of 201 legislators all vying to fulfill their promises. In the end, success depends on being able to work with other legislators and build coalitions — one legislator never gets all that he or she wants. And that’s probably just as well. Another misconception is that just because you vote for or against one particular piece of legislation, you are not on one side or another. For instance, just because you vote against some particular mandate or law affecting the environment, it doesn’t mean you aren’t ‘for’ the environment. There are many sides to all issues — an effective leader must be able to look at all the sides of an issue and weigh the options. An effective leader is not ‘bullied’ by lobbying efforts at the Capitol — in fact, sometimes those types of strategies backfire on proponents of a certain issue.”

Dorman: “Yes. Too many people have a view that public officials are self serving or corrupt. Nothing can be further from the truth. This view of elected officials is held by a minority of people, but they are vocal and tend to have their views over-represented.”

Walz: “Sure — some folks think that we lead a pretty glamorous life in Washington. Believe me, I’m humbled by the grandeur of the United States Capitol and I’m thrilled to work in such a beautiful and meaningful building. But commuting between Washington, D.C., and Mankato is no picnic. I have a barebones studio apartment in Washington where I sleep. I eat Subway and cafeteria food because they’re convenient when I’m in Washington, D.C. I spend hours in airport terminals, waiting for the weather to break so my flight will take off. I’m humbled to serve, but it isn’t the glamorous life many think it is.”

Q: Any additional comments?

Sparks: “We face huge challenges this legislative session, an economy that is fragile and a state budget that worsens by the day, increasing numbers of unemployed or underemployed Minnesotans, rising costs and an aging population. I welcome input from any and all — if you have suggestions as to how to deal with these challenges, please contact me. I will be the first to admit that I don’t have all the answers. I encourage your involvement in helping our state find solutions to these problems of a historic nature.”

Dorman: “I thank the people of 27A for having the opportunity to serve.”