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Source: Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.迷你倉Sept. 20--Olmsted County Democrats are once again turning to Minnesota celebrity Garrison Keillor for fundraising in preparation for the 2014 elections.For the third time since 2004, Keillor has agreed to travel down to Rochester to help the local DFL party raise money. The host of A Prairie Home Companion will headline the Olmsted County Democratic Dinner on Monday, Sept. 30 at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester.Olmsted County DFL Chairwoman Lynn Wilson credits Keillor's support in helping Democrats gain a foothold in Rochester after decades of Republican dominance. In 2004, he hosted the Olmsted County DFL's first ever fundraising dinner. It proved to be a huge success, drawing 500 people. That fall, local voters elected two Democrats -- Tina Liebling and Andy Welti -- to the Minnesota House. He came back the next year to help the party raise more dollars."I really give Garrison Keillor credit for helping jump start our Democratic success, which was historic," Wilson said. "That fall we elected the first Democrats that had been elected in 40 years in Olmsted County."Over the past decade, Keillor has put his celebrity status to use helping DFL candidates in Minnesota and across the nation. Last fall, he helped raise money for the Fillmore County DFL in Lanesboro. He has also been generous when it comes to donations. Since 2000, he has donated more than $258,000 to federal candidates and parties, according to the Federal Elections Commission. At the state-level, he has donated more than $41,000 to Democrats since 2002, according to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.Hamline University law school professor David Schultz, an expert in campaign finance laws, said the Democrats are smart to tap into the Minnesota entertainer's popularity."For many people, he is the face of Minnesota," Schultz said. "He is incredibly well known in the state and across the country. What he has done is taken that迷你倉最平persona, that name recognition, that entertainment value and has sort of cashed it in in the sense of helping Democrats in the political causes he supports."Keillor could not be reached for comment.The Lake Wobegon storyteller has not been shy about his liberal politics. In 2004, he wrote a book called "Homegrown Democrat: A Few Plain Thoughts from the Heart of America." Last fall, he spoke out against a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and helped raise money for for the main group fighting the amendment -- Minnesotans United for All Families. He has also written plenty of political essays.Despite Keillor's political activism for liberal causes, he does not appear to have generated a major backlash from conservatives, Schultz said."The (radio) show is so popular, it is so solidified in terms of its base either it's filtered out people who don't politically agree with him or people don't pay attention to his politics," he said.Senate District 26 DFL Chairman Mark Liebow said it wasn't hard to get Keillor to agree to make the trek down to Rochester. All he did was ask if he'd be willing to do it. This year's dinner marks the return of the party's largest political fundraiser after a two-year hiatus. This year, donors can take advantage of the return of Minnesota's Political Contribution Refund Program. Individuals who make a donation to a registered political party or state partisan candidates who have agreed to campaign spending limits are eligible for a $50 refund. Liebow said the party is hoping to raise $10,000.Donors have the chance to meet Keillor at a one-hour special reception. Tickets for the special reception, dinner and program cost $150. Tickets for just the dinner and program are $85. Tickets must be purchased by Wednesday. Forms can be downloaded from the Olmsted County DFL website.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Post-Bulletin Visit the Post-Bulletin at .postbulletin.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉