Dean Barkley

Dean Malcolm Barkley born August 31 1950 is an American attorney and politician who briefly served as a United States Senator from Minnesota from 2002 to 2003 as a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota The founder and chair of the Minnesota Reform Party later renamed the Independence Party he was the chairman of Jesse Venturas successful upset bid for governor of Minnesota in 1998 Ventura subsequently appointed him director of the states Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning After Senator Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash just weeks before the 2002 election Ventura appointed Barkley to fill Wellstones Senate seat His brief tenure ended when Republican Norm Coleman was elected and sworn in to fill the seat Barkley has run for office four times Inspired by Ross Perots 1992 presidential campaign he first ran for Congress as an independent in that years election in Minnesotas 6th congressional district but lost He unsuccessfully ran three times for the US Senate in Minnesotas 1994 Senate election in 1996 and in 2008 He received 5 7 and 15 of the vote in each election respectively