Eden Prairie News caught up with two residents heading to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. This weekend, Tori Hill, an alternate delegate to the Democratic National Convention will be returning to the Twin Cities as that event wraps up. At the same time, Angela Erhard will be heading to St. Paul, as a delegate for the Republican National Convention. Eden Prairie News spoke with both women earlier this week. 

Tori Hill

For Tori Hill and her family, the first foray into party politics has turned out to be quite the adventure. Hill, an alternate delegate, has spent the week in Denver at the Democratic National Convention along with husband Leon and her three children. Beyond voting, Hill had not been active in politics during previous election cycles.

This year, all that changed with her support of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama.. 

Tori Hill

She recalled how they were the only family in their neighborhood to have an Obama sign in their yard.

“Then I said, well, how can I get more involved with this whole process?” said Hill in an interview before she headed to the convention.

Things took off for her after the Iowa caucas, as did the Obama campaign. Hill volunteered for the Minnesota caucuses and got the whole family on board, including her 9-, and 12-year-old girls and teenage son.

During the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Third Congressional District convention at Wayzata, Hill, a Terri Bonoff supporter, found out that her 9-year-old had switched her support to Ashwin Madia during the course of the event.

 “It kept me engaged as well just to see kids getting involved in the political process at such a young age.

“I’m just getting in it,” she added.

But, a season of party involvement paid off with an alternate spot at the National Convention. When interviewed on Thursday, Hill was being inundated with events to attend in Denver.

If you go by the mindset that all politics is local then Hill has already been quite active. The Hills have lived in Eden Prairie for more than 15 years and Tori is on the Community Education board and has been active with Eden Prairie Schools. But, this year, she connected to the message of change touted by the Obama campaign.

 “I want change,” she said, adding, “The society and the country can’t continue to go in the direction that it’s going.”

Angela Erhard

Next week’s convention is not the first one for delegate Angela Erhard. Erhard was present at the 1984 Republican Convention in Dallas in Ronald Reagan’s era.

Times have changed, to say the least. First of all, security has stepped up like never before. The heavy canvas bag filled with water and pop will likely be a no-go for St. Paul.

“This time we can’t get hardly anything in.”

 Angela Erhard

Issues have also changed, and for Erhard, energy is at the forefront.

“It affects so many things,” she said noting the increase in food prices, heating costs and the cost to fill up at the tank.

“I think we have to have some answer here,” she said.

It can’t be just drilling for oil, she noted, “It has to be a full gamut.”

Erhard notes you don’t promote policies at the convention, since that’s worked out long ahead of time. Rather, you come together to pick a candidate that best suits the majority. Think of the convention as the final dotting of the I’s and crossing of T’s in the form of one big party.

“The first thing that I get excited about is meeting like-minded people from all over the country,” said Erhard.

“It’s like a family reunion.”

Then of course, you might look in one direction and see Newt Gingrich, in another Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“It’s excellent people watching too.”

Congressional Candidate Erik Paulsen of Eden Prairie is slated to speak on Monday. Erhard said she’s looking forward to seeing Cindy McCain, who she met a few months ago.

“She’s just a really classy lady.”