EVIDENCE OF OPENNESS

Mary Jane Rachner appeared at the Minnesota State Fair in 1990 with a "large plastic spider pinned to her blouse,'' according to Pioneer Press columnist Joe Soucheray. The spooky spider movie, "Arachnaphobia,'' was a big hit at the time, and Rachner was involved in one of her hopeless political campaigns, this time for governor.

"Why the lobster, Mary Jane?" Soucheray asked her.

"It's a spider," she said. "Arachnophobia. Get it? Rachner, arachnophobia?"

We can see her in those oversized glasses she wore, full of wide-eyed, unfocused energy, speaking in her breathless way, running for whatever office presented itself.

Mary Jane Reagan — she later changed her name in homage to President Reagan — died last month at the age of 87. She was a "hardy perennial" of our political scene, part of a group of perpetual candidates that still includes Sharon Anderson, Dick Franson, Ole Savior and Bill Dahn. In recent years, the group has attracted a foreign entry, Jack Shepard, a fugitive living in Italy. (Some would say Ralph Nader is slipping into the "hardy perennial" category on the national level.)

Mary Jane had been a teacher with an advanced degree. She spoke of injuries she sustained in a bad traffic accident and how that changed her. She took an avid interest in running for office without any visible support beyond herself. She ran for president, governor, U.S. Senate, Congress, mayor, City Council and school board.