Wetterling backs Gaertner for governor

Child-safety advocate and two-time congressional candidate Patty Wetterling has endorsed Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner in the 2010 gubernatorial contest. In a letter announcing her support, Wetterling praises Gaertner (pictured) for her work as a prosecutor.

“The person I am supporting has the executive leadership ability of a manager of a large public office, the community commitment of a local elected official, and the moral integrity of a prosecutor who does what is right rather than what is popular,” Wetterling writes in the letter, released by the Gaertner campaign. “With strong Democratic values and a pragmatic approach, this candidate will bring together progressives, moderates, and independents in a coalition that can win next November. This candidate is Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, and I am proud to support her campaign for governor of Minnesota in 2010.”

Wetterling is widely admired for her work on child-safety issues following the abduction of her son, Jacob, in 1989. But that respect hasn’t translated into success in electoral politics. Wetterling twice ran unsuccessfully for the 6th Congressional District seat, losing most recently to Michele Bachmann in 2006 by a 50-42 percent margin.