Who doesn't want to run for Mark Dayton's seat? The list is much shorter than the one of those who are interested. Dayton's announcement Wednesday that he won't run for re-election next year didn't quite shock the world (as a former governor used to say), but the timing certainly caught many people by surprise. Dayton's biggest problem? Raising money, as noted by MPR's Michael Khoo:

"I do not believe that I am the best candidate to lead the DFL Party to victory next year. I cannot stand to do the constant fund-raising necessary to wage a successful campaign, and I cannot be an effective senator while also being a nearly full-time candidate," Dayton said.

Dayton has repeatedly made public his distaste for fundraising, and he's remembered for financing his last campaign almost entirely through his own personal wealth. That race cost him roughly $12 million, a sum he's said he can no longer afford.

Outgoing DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson says he respects Dayton's decision, but he acknowledged that soliciting campaign cash is an inescapable part of modern politics.

"Fundraising for most people in this business is the least fun part of the job, but the reality is these campaigns take an awful lot of money," he said.

Dayton was widely considered to be the most vulnerable senator in the upcoming election cycle, that's in part because of a relatively meager campaign war chest. According to campaign finance reports, Dayton ended 2004 with less than $200,000 on hand. For comparison, that's about a third of what Republican Sen. Norm Coleman has -- and Coleman isn't up for re-election until 2008. And it's only about half of what Republican Congressman Gil Gutknecht has.

Dayton has long been know as an unusual politician with a style that could best be described as an anti-style. MPR's Laura McCallum takes a look at his career:

Dayton got the attention of both supporters and critics last fall, when he was the only member of Congress to close his Senate office for three weeks before the election. He cited a top-secret intelligence report...

"I take this step out of extreme, but necessary, precaution to protect the lives and safety of my Senate staff and my Minnesota constituents, who might otherwise visit my office in the next few weeks. I feel compelled to do so, because I will not be here in Washington to share in what I consider to be an unacceptably greater risk to their safety."

There was no attack on the U.S. Capitol before the election.

In the fall of 2002, Dayton was one of 23 Senators who voted against a resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq, and he questioned whether the Bush administration was playing politics with the timing of the invasion. Last month, he voted against the confirmation of Bush aide Condoleeza Rice as Secretary of State, and on the Senate floor, he charged her with lying in private briefings on Iraq...

"I don't like to impugn anyone's integrity but I really don't like being lied to, repeatedly, flagrantly, intentionally. It's wrong, it's undemocratic, it's un-American and it's dangerous." ...

But as often as Dayton gave passionate speeches on health care or Iraq, he was also known for fumbling his words, as he did during this conference call with reporters on the situation in Iraq...

"I didn't know then what was known that I didn't know, and I may not yet know all that I don't know."

Dayton's approval rating took a hit in recent months. The latest Star Tribune Minnesota poll found Dayton's approval rating dropped 15 points in a year, from 58 to 43 percent.

Now as for that list of candidates, let's start with DFLers who aren't running. Mike Hatch and Matt Entenza. On the may run list, put everyone from Mike Ciresi and Amy Klobuchar and Mark Rotenberg (who say they're definitely interested) to Dean Johnson, Betty McCollum, Steve Kelley, Tom Rukavina (who haven't ruled it out) to Alan Page and Garrison Keillor (whose names have come up but aren't talking).

On the GOP side you have Gil Gutknecht, Mark Kennedy, Rod Grams, Brian Sullivan and possibly Mary Kiffmeyer, Michelle Bachmann...and maybe even Tim Pawlenty (although he's said before he's not interested).

The Star Tribune even lists Independence Party candidates Dean Barkley is interested; Jesse Ventura and Tim Penny say no.

Of course this will all change over the next few weeks, so don't bother printing out that list and sticking it to the fridge.

What do you think of Dayton's decision and who should replace him? Send me a note.