Steve Sviggum

The last time Republican candidates for governor were all (or mostly all) in one place, someone had to go and start a straw poll. Party leaders halted that plebiscite halfway through to preserve suspense for an official straw poll Oct. 3. So leave your straw at home before you head to today’s GOP picnic at [...]

Today’s record-setting chill still won’t be as cold as the water thrown on Republican Steve Sviggum’s plans to run for governor. The former Speaker of the Minnesota House had planned to announce his candidacy any day now, but the U.S. Office of Solicitor General says Sviggum’s oversight of OSHA matters in his current job as state [...]

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s announcement earlier this month that he will not seek a third term has unleashed a political gold rush among Republican politicians in the state. Minnesota’s current political landscape includes an eye-popping 18 declared and possible gubernatorial contenders.

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 [...]

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s decision not to seek a third term is widely viewed as an indication that he plans to seriously test the waters for a presidential bid in 2012. But at a press conference this afternoon he insisted that he has no future political plans.

Tim Pawlenty will announce whether he plans to seek a third term as governor this afternoon. The early word: he’s not running for re-election. Both WCCO (Channel 4)  political reporter Pat Kessler and Minnesota Public Radio’s Tom Scheck cite sources that indicate Pawlenty has decided against seeking a third term and is dialing up national [...]

Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed former Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, to serve as the new commissioner of labor and industry starting on July 17, according to a release from the governor’s office.

Sviggum will replace Scott Brenner, who is leaving the post to take a job with SFM Companies.

Sviggum, 55, served as speaker from 1999 [...]