Video: Democrats debate at State Fair

Former state Rep. Steve Kelley. Photo: Paul Demko, MnIndy

A Democrat hasn’t been elected governor in Minnesota since 1986. If that trend continues in 2010 it certainly won’t be for a lack of qualified candidates. Currently nine DFLers have announced their intention to seek the state’s top office, with a few others still mulling a run. On Tuesday seven of the challengers showed up for a debate at the Minnesota State Fair: Steve Kelley, Paul Thissen, Tom Bakk, Mark Dayton, Tom Rukavina, Susan Gaertner and Matt Entenza. Notable absences included announced candidates Margaret Anderson Kelliher and John Marty, as well as likely challengers Chris Coleman and R.T. Rybak.

The nearly two-hour debate, put together by The Uptake and KTNF (AM 950) touched on health-care policies, instant-runoff voting and police tactics during last year’s Republican National Convention. Gaertner touted her executive experience heading the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office for the last 15 years. Entenza, the former House minority leader, invoked his humble origins growing up in a poor, fatherless household in Worthington. Everyone bashed the current governor, Tim Pawlenty, particularly for his fiscal policies.

Here’s the entire debate: