Michael Cavlan
Encyclopedia
Michael Cavlan is a Minnesota
political activist and registered nurse from Apple Valley, Minnesota
. Cavlan is running as an independent candidate for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District against incumbent Keith Ellison
.
, but spent most of his childhood and adolescence in Northern Ireland
with his Roman Catholic family. Cavlan lived near Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1969 till 1984, becoming involved in the Irish Trade Union Movement as a member of ITGWU (the Irish Transport and General Workers Union) and IVG&ATA (the Irish Vintners, Grocers & Allied Trades Association). He is divorced with two sons, and is a nephew of Ballymoney
Sinn Féin
councillor, Anita Cavlan.
He is a registered nurse at Saint Paul's Regions Hospital and a member of the Minnesota Nurses Association 3rd District union and volunteer for the National Disaster Medical System
. He specializes in burns, trauma and intensive care. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he volunteered to assist in caring for wounded survivors. Cavlan called for an official investigation into possible government involvement in the death of Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone
, a call which was the subject of an article in the Star Tribune
.
. But the issue was quickly moot, because Cavlan's run ended almost as soon as it began when he lost the contested Green primary. The contest was the only primary for the Green Party.
Following the disputed Ohio election in 2004, Cavlan went to that state to help with the Green Party's effort to recount Ohio's votes after the 2004 election. Cavlan announced his 2006 candidacy to run for Senate in October 2004 on the Green Party
ticket. He faced Republican
candidate Mark Kennedy, Independence Party
candidate Robert Fitzgerald and the election's winner, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
candidate Amy Klobuchar
, in the general election. Shortly after the election, Cavlan announced his candidacy for the 2008 Senate election. However, at the 2008 Minnesota Green Party convention, he failed to gain the nomination.
A self-described "peace activist", Cavlan has called for immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq
and Afghanistan
. Among other issues, he is pro-choice
, opposes the death penalty, drug prohibition, and school vouchers, and supports gay marriage. During his 2006 Senate campaign he declared:
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
political activist and registered nurse from Apple Valley, Minnesota
Apple Valley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,527 people, 16,344 households, and 12,405 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,625.5 people per square mile . There were 16,536 housing units at an average density of 953.6 per square mile...
. Cavlan is running as an independent candidate for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District against incumbent Keith Ellison
Keith Ellison (politician)
Keith Maurice Ellison is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The district centers on Minneapolis. He was re-elected in 2010. Ellison is a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.He is the first Muslim to be elected to the...
.
Personal life
Cavlan was born in San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, but spent most of his childhood and adolescence in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
with his Roman Catholic family. Cavlan lived near Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1969 till 1984, becoming involved in the Irish Trade Union Movement as a member of ITGWU (the Irish Transport and General Workers Union) and IVG&ATA (the Irish Vintners, Grocers & Allied Trades Association). He is divorced with two sons, and is a nephew of Ballymoney
Ballymoney
Ballymoney is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,021 people in the 2001 Census. It is currently served by Ballymoney Borough Council....
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
councillor, Anita Cavlan.
He is a registered nurse at Saint Paul's Regions Hospital and a member of the Minnesota Nurses Association 3rd District union and volunteer for the National Disaster Medical System
National Disaster Medical System
The National Disaster Medical System is a section of the United States Department of Health and Human Services responsible for managing Federal government's medical response to major emergencies and disasters....
. He specializes in burns, trauma and intensive care. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he volunteered to assist in caring for wounded survivors. Cavlan called for an official investigation into possible government involvement in the death of Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone
Paul Wellstone
Paul David Wellstone was a two-term U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the national Democratic Party. Before being elected to the Senate in 1990, he was a professor of political science at Carleton College...
, a call which was the subject of an article in the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
.
Green Party involvement
Cavlan's first attempt at electoral politics was a run for the state legislature in 2002 as a Green Party candidate. He almost failed to achieve party endorsement when he refused to disavow support for the use of violence by the Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
. But the issue was quickly moot, because Cavlan's run ended almost as soon as it began when he lost the contested Green primary. The contest was the only primary for the Green Party.
Following the disputed Ohio election in 2004, Cavlan went to that state to help with the Green Party's effort to recount Ohio's votes after the 2004 election. Cavlan announced his 2006 candidacy to run for Senate in October 2004 on the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
ticket. He faced Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate Mark Kennedy, Independence Party
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
candidate Robert Fitzgerald and the election's winner, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
candidate Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar
Amy Jean Klobuchar is the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the Democratic Party...
, in the general election. Shortly after the election, Cavlan announced his candidacy for the 2008 Senate election. However, at the 2008 Minnesota Green Party convention, he failed to gain the nomination.
A self-described "peace activist", Cavlan has called for immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Among other issues, he is pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, opposes the death penalty, drug prohibition, and school vouchers, and supports gay marriage. During his 2006 Senate campaign he declared:
Electoral history
- 2006 election for U.S. Senate - Minnesota
- Amy Klobuchar (D), 58%
- Mark Kennedy (R), 38%
- Robert Fitzgerald (I), 3%
- Michael Cavlan (G), 0.5%