Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash. He was a 58-year-old former professor on his way to Virginia, Minnesota to attend a funeral of Martin Rukavina, father of Minnesota State Senator, Tom Rukavina. He was with his wife Sheila, his daughter Marcia, his two sons David and Mark who were 37 and 30, and six grandchildren.
Paul Wellstone’s death threw a battle for the Senate into uncharted territory and the crash also was 11 days before the election. Democrats held control by a single seat and Wellstone was up against Norm Coleman, a former mayor in St. Paul.
Wellstone cast his vote earlier this month against the legislation to authorize the use of force in Iraq—the only Democrat facing a tough re-election to go against Bush on this issue. Mr. Bush personally intervened to anoint Wellston’s Challenger, Norm Coleman, and had visited the state three times campaign on his behalf.
Investigators have more clues about the plane crash that killed Paul, his wife, and six other people. But the cause of the crash is still a mystery. Some investigators are already heading back to Washington with information about the crash site, but they say they won’t have answers for a long time.
We all miss Paul Wellstone to this day, we all knew he would of one and stopped Iraq, and we all knew that he was, a great hero, and a great man.
Thanks to Mr. Gunderson’s 6th grade class at Virginia-Roosevelt Elementary School for the research on October’s Day in History.
Thanks also to Minnesota’s Learn and Serve America Service Learning Program for their help.
Minnesota Sesquicentennial 