Former State Auditor Joins Minnesota Governor's Race

By Emily Cadei | July 15, 2009 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pat Anderson

One Republican in, one Republican out in Minnesota's 2010 governor's race. Less than 24 hours after former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad took himself out of the running for the seat, former state auditor and Eagan Mayor Pat Anderson jumped in.

On her newly launched Web site, Anderson said that the focus of her candidacy will be "common sense and reform."

"Herein lie the central themes of the Pat Anderson administration - individual liberty with a government that is limited, smart, and transparent," she wrote, in what sounded more like a decree than a stump speech. "My belief in these principles is not just an ideological faith. I will, and have, governed by these principles because they work."

Anderson joins an already crowded GOP field -- including state Reps. Paul Kohls and Tom Emmer and former state Rep. Bill Haas -- who have officially declared his or her candidacy since GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced in June that he would not run for a third term. A number of other Republicans are also eyeing a bid.

The Democratic field is even more crowded.

To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics' election map.

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