WINONA, Minn. – Legislative candidate Aaron Repinski has declined repeated news media requests to explain whether he had a role in a campaign mailer that cast rival candidate Sarah Kruger, a woman, in pinkish tones and in a context that likened her to the fashion-obsessed and somewhat inept Barbi doll. The mailer rankled voters sympathetic to women’s issues. Repinski acknowledged a Winona Journal request for an interview about the mailer but then failed twice to follow through on requests to set up an interview. Unclear is whether Repinski helped create the Barbi mailer. The mailer was sent to House Distctm26-A households in early September. The mailer, issued by state Republican office, carried a disclaimer that it was “not coordinated with or approved by any candidate nor is any candidate responsible for it.” It would seem easy enough for Repinski to say he was blind-sided by the mailer and even to disavow it. He has decided to do neither. Attempts to reach Repinski’s campaign manager Jerry Papenfuss, have been unsuccessful. The question to Papenfuss also is whether he participated in creating he Barbi mailer or knew advance it was coming. For her part Kruger has been silent about the mailer publicly as an unfortunate distraction from issues.