Campaign 2010

St. Paul Mayor Coleman backing R.T. Rybak for governor

St. Paul, Minn. — St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman says he's backing Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak for governor.

Coleman announced his endorsement Thursday during a State Capitol news conference. DFL delegates will endorse a candidate for governor next week at the party's state convention in Duluth, and Rybak said he'll drop out of the race if he doesn't win the endorsement.

Coleman said he has developed an effective partnership with Rybak over the past four years, and he believes the Minneapolis mayor is best suited to lead the state.

"He has the executive leadership that is needed at very difficult times," Coleman said. "For eight years, he has struggled with the budget challenges that cities across the state of Minnesota have faced. For eight years, he has worked on some of the toughest urban challenges that any community can face, and he has done it well."

Rybak said the endorsement means a lot. Coleman spent several months exploring his own gubernatorial bid, but he dropped out of the DFL field last fall.