Minnesota House Speaker Is Running for Governor

By Emily Cadei | August 14, 2009 12:06 PM | | Comments (0)

Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher is joining the race for governor in what looks likely to be the most crowded political contest of the 2010 cycle.

Kelliher, a Democrat, announced on a new campaign Web site Thursday that she had filed the paperwork for a campaign. In a message to supporters, she said she had the experience, commitment and coalition-building skills to lead the state out of its economic struggles. A formal campaign announcement will come in "a few weeks," she said.

Kelliher has one of the highest profiles among a number of Democrats already in the race. The field includes former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and former state House Minority Leader Matt Entenza; state Sens. John Marty and Tom Bakk; state Reps. Paul Thissen and Tom Rukavina; and Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner.

The well-known mayors of both of Minnesota's Twin Cities, R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis and Christopher B. Coleman of St. Paul, would enter as top-tier candidates should they decide to run. Rybak has indicated that he is likely to jump in the race.

The Republican primary has also attracted a crowd since GOP incumbent Tim Pawlenty announced in June that he would not seek a third term. The latest to formally announce his bid is state Sen. Mike Jungbauer.

Pawlenty won his last race by a narrow margin and the state has tilted Democratic in recent elections, leading CQ Politics to rate the general election contest a Toss Up.

To follow the 2009 and 2010 governors' races, check out CQ Politics' election map.

More from CQ Politics

Categories: Governor, Minnesota

Tags: Bakk, Dayton, Entenza, Gaertner, Governor, Jungbauer, Kelliher, Marty, Pawlenty, Rukavina, Thissen

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