Mary McEvoy was a bright light in DFL politics

McEvoy was voice of women, minorities

Rochelle Olson

Star Tribune
Published Oct. 29, 2002

The plane crash in which U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone died also silenced one of the strongest voices for minority members and progressives on the DFL Party staff: associate party chair Mary McEvoy.

McEvoy, 49, a University of Minnesota child development professor and married mother of three, was a feisty grass-roots complement to party chair Mike Erlandson's inside-the-beltway contacts and fund-raising skills.

Her death gives minority members and progressives pause about who will champion their interests in the inner circles of party leadership.

"She demanded her voice was heard and it was because she was bright and active," said former Secretary of State Joan Growe.

Some wonder if the party will ever fill the void.

For some time, women have expressed concern about how receptive the state DFL Party leadership is to female candidates, especially in high-profile races at the top of the state ballot. At this year's endorsing convention for governor, state Auditor Judi Dutcher and state Sen. Becky Lourey were both passed over in favor of Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe.

If former Vice President Walter Mondale takes Wellstone's place on the ballot next Tuesday, as expected, the top spots on the DFL ticket once again will be male bastions.

But even the most determined feminists in the party are willing to let this one go by.

"If it had been anyone else but Mondale, you would have had some other reactions," said Growe, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate herself in 1984.

State Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville, hasn't been shy about criticizing when she thinks the doors to power are slammed in women's faces. She doesn't quibble with the push to place Mondale on the ballot.

Greiling said she noticed that only men, including Wellstone's older son, David, were in the small group that approached Mondale about running, but said, "At the same time, I'm accepting it as an extraordinary time that is temporary."

Presumably, if Mondale ran and won, the 74-year-old would serve only one term. Potential female candidates would have time to build their résumés and careers before the seat came open again in 2008.

"At the next round of DFL conventions, women will break through. We've about had it with this," Greiling said.

Missing Mary

Right now, Greiling, Growe and many others are more concerned about losing McEvoy's friendship and support.

Relatively unknown outside the DFL Party, she played numerous roles within it. As a leader, she recruited and mentored candidates and activists. She also did the grungy and unglamorous groundwork: stuffing envelopes, knocking on doors and attending community meetings.

"Mary Mac," as she was widely known, campaigned often with Wellstone and his wife, Sheila. McEvoy (pronounced MACK-uh-voy), was one of a very few individuals who could match the senator's energy.

The loss of McEvoy adds another layer to the tragedy for those who knew her and counted on her to be an advocate.

"I always had confidence when decisions were made that Mary McEvoy was a strong voice of reason and common sense for women," Dutcher said.

"We knew if there was a fight to be had, that Mary was going to be our best fighter," said Megan Thomas, chairwoman of the Stonewall DFL Caucus that represents gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender activists.

Whether she was kneeling on the dusty floor of campaign headquarters stuffing envelopes for Mike Freeman, unwinding with the Wellstones at the end of a long day on the campaign bus or shopping with her kids at Kowalski's market on a weeknight, those who knew her say she was always the same: happy to see you -- as if your mere appearance had made her day.

Dan McGrath, executive director of Progressive Minnesota, called her a ray of light. "She made you feel good. She made you want to keep doing what you're doing," he said.

While McEvoy was a true believer, she could also enjoy a joke about her candidate's quirks. She didn't criticize the opposition. "There wasn't a cynical bone in her body," said Bill Lofy, who spent months traveling with McEvoy and the Wellstones during the 1996 Senate campaign.

McEvoy had sought to become party chair in 1999, but Erlandson beat her out, campaigning on his ability to win elections and raise money. He still serves as U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo's chief of staff.

Their contest came during a difficult spring for the party, following the 1998 elections in which no DFL endorsee won a statewide race. There was still lingering bitterness over the gubernatorial contest, including the number of candidates who ran in the primary against Freeman, who had captured the party endorsement. McEvoy had worked with and supported Freeman, who lost the primary to then-Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III.

After Erlandson won, McEvoy was elected associate chair. They made peace immediately and moved on, running together for reelection two years later.

In her campaign for the top party job, she pushed to connect the party with a wide variety of people. Her supporters say she never lost sight of the goal.

Thomas, who is a lesbian, said that McEvoy "not only accepted me, but celebrated my differences. I knew she was an ally in the truest sense of the word."

But her role went beyond making people comfortable; she helped bring them along. "She was one of those mentors who it took you awhile to figure out what she was doing because she did it as a friend," Thomas said.

Tammy Tesky was fresh out of college when she met McEvoy on the Freeman gubernatorial campaign. Tesky is now the executive director of the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus and viewed McEvoy as a sort of "co-conspirator" working inside the establishment on behalf of the outsiders.

Tesky kept in touch with McEvoy and had sent her an e-mail last Thursday because she was upset about some lawn signs she had seen. McEvoy responded late that night, on what turned out to be the eve of her death. "Even in the midst of keeping up with her own family, work and a busy campaign, she took a few minutes to send me words of encouragement," Tesky said.

State Rep. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis and a Stonewall DFL member, said McEvoy went to bat for all the party's factions. She understood that the DFL was the party "of the disaffected and disenfranchised," he said.

Erlandson said he and McEvoy never disagreed on politics or policy. "I don't expect that I will fill Mary McEvoy's void, but I know that Mary McEvoy will remain at my side as long as I'm the chair of the DFL Party," he said.

Erlandson said there has been no talk yet about filling the associate chair position she left.

Thomas didn't have suggestions on who might fill the job, but said, "We need someone who can stand up to power like she did and who can work with power like she did."

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