Remembering Senator Paul Wellstone’s Legacy

Northlanders remember Senator Paul Wellstone on the 15th anniversary of his death.

DULUTH, Minn.- Fifteen years ago on October 25th Northlanders were devastated when a plane crash took the life of a beloved Senator. FOX21 is remembering the legacy of Senator Paul Wellstone.

“We all do better, when we all do better,” Paul Wellstone said.

Those words have stuck with Northlanders. FOX21 spoke with one of Wellstone’s early supporters- which grew later grew into a friendship.

How can we honor the Senator, especially on October 25th?

“It’s a commemorative day, but Paul was a Mother Jones supporter,” Northeast Labor Council president Alan Netland said. “Mother Jones said don’t mourn, organize. Inorder to carry on his legacy we go and do the work.”

Wellstone is known for his hard work and driving passion. Voting for what he believed in, even it if wasn’t a favored opinion, has not been forgotten. Today he was honored in Washington, D.C.

“Every day I serve I think back to what Paul said, ‘politics is not about power, politics is not about money, politics is not about winning for the sake of winning, politics is about the improvement of people’s lives,'” Senator Al Franken said.

Senator Franken said Wellstone fought for mental health care, a cleaner environment, and working families to have a fair shot. Senator Amy Klobuchar spoke also, remembering those very same goals.

“As he said in one of his famous campaign adds, he wasn’t there to support the Rockefellers, he was there to support the littler fellers,” Senator Amy Klobuchar said.

Wellstone was also known in Washington, for his kindness by addressing everyone with equal importance.

“Paul believed that nobody should be left behind,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said. “That we need to bring everybody with us, everybody needs to have a decent life and a decent job.”

A memorial hall for Senator Wellstone is in Duluth, at the Labor Temple.

Wellstone’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations.