John Marty

The results of a DFL-sponsored “practice” election for governor using instant-runoff voting (IRV) would have been the same even if IRV hadn’t been used: The winner was state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher – who made her run for guv official this morning — with Mayor R.T. Rybak in the runner-up slot.

The Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior drew a record 12,000 people for the 23rd annual LGBT Pride event Labor Day weekend. Anti-gay protesters shouted at parade participants and festival-goers, while politicians angling for the DFL nomination for governor worked the crowds. The festival boasted a big name act with international drag sensation RuPaul.

One of the GOP contenders for governor has a theory about why state party leaders stopped a straw poll at Farmfest last week. “Apparently because it favored me,” explained state Rep. Marty Seifert. “They felt there was too much bias in favor of me.”

Late results of a very early straw poll in the race for DFL governor show state Sen. John Marty slightly ahead of former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton for the lead, with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman running neck-and-neck close behind. The number of DFL gubernatorial candidates (and near-candidates) who gathered [...]

Five Democrats running for governor have agreed to abide by the party’s nominating process, reports Eric Black at MinnPost, but several others — including some well-funded presumptive front-runners — won’t make such a promise.

Reaction to Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s Tuesday press conference announcing his unallotment of nearly $2.7 billion from the state budget has been swift and, at times, scathing.

Only one thing is certain about the 2010 gubernatorial contest: It will be crowded field. Some three dozen politicians are thinking about climbing into the race. Here’s a look at the crop of DFL contenders.

The national debate about gay rights hit home in the small community of Pine City, Minn., on Sunday as residents hosted two dueling picnics in the city of 3,000 people. For the fifth year, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender folks from east-central Minnesota gathered to celebrate family and community. And for the second year, their neighbors organized a picnic just blocks away opposing gay rights and promoting “family values.”

Democrat Tom Bakk is running for governor. The state senator from Virginia made it official yesterday. Bakk originally set up an exploratory committee and began raising money roughly a year ago. The chair of the Senate’s Taxes Committee was a strong advocate during the recently completed legislative session for increasing taxes on the state’s wealthiest [...]

Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton comes closest to out-polling Gov. Tim Pawlenty in a theoretical match-up in the 2010 governor’s contest, according to a new SurveyUSA poll commissioned by KSTP (Channel 5).  The two-term Republican incumbent defeats Dayton by a 47-43 margin.
The KSTP phone survey of 551 registered voters also looked at potential match-ups with [...]