Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is an American academic. He sought the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party as a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2008, but was defeated by Al Franken.[1]
Nelson-Pallmeyer was born as the youngest of four brothers to parents Wayne and Audrey Nelson in 1951. He was born and raised in Minnesota. He went to high school in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and then attended St. Olaf College in Northfield. After graduating with a B.A. in political science, he earned a Master's of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He has written several books on war, hunger issues, theology, and foreign policy. For the past 15 years, he has been a professor at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota.[2] He is married to his wife of 34 years, Sara, with whom he has three daughters, Hannah, Audrey and Naomi.
He is a pacifist and a Lutheran.[3]
In his book Brave New World Order (first published 1992, reissued 2017), Nelson-Pallmeyer provides a definition of "national security state". He describes seven defining characteristics, starting with the military exerting influence over economic and political affairs and progressing through maintaining an appearance of democracy while ultimate power rests with the national security establishment; concentration of capital by elites; obsession with enemies; and restricting and distorting information, among others. He summarizes how this found expression in El Salvador and discusses "similar dynamics" within the United States.[4]
Nelson-Pallmeyer announced his intention to challenge incumbent Democrat Martin Sabo for Minnesota's 5th congressional district U.S. House of Representatives seat in early 2006. After Sabo announced he was retiring,[5] several other Democrats announced their intentions to run for the House seat. At the district convention in May, Keith Ellison won the endorsement after Nelson-Pallmeyer withdrew from the endorsement process and threw his support to Ellison, who went on to win the general election.
On October 10, 2007, Nelson-Pallmeyer announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Norm Coleman.[6] He ran against Al Franken for the DFL Party nomination. After a long fight for the party's nomination, culminating at the 2008 State DFL convention in Rochester, Nelson-Pallmeyer lost the nomination to Franken.