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6th District


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Though the U.S. Senate race seemed to hold the most promise for a close race, it was the governor's race in Minnesota that grabbed the election-night headlines. Incumbent Tim Pawlenty held onto his office by just 22,000 votes over DFLer Mike Hatch. But Pawlenty saw his GOP colleagues swept out of office. In the Senate race, DFLer Amy Klobuchar easily beat Rep. Mark Kennedy.

The retirement of Sen. Mark Dayton sparked early interest in the campaign, with Rep. Mark Kennedy jumping in early. But a year later, Kennedy emerged as the lone Republican for the job, and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar's strength was forcing several Democrats, including Patty Wetterling, out of the race.

The Senate race immediately attracted national attention, but as Klobuchar surged ahead of Kennedy in the polls, much national attention turned to the 6th District, where Patty Wetterling and state Sen. Michele Bachmann were the major contenders. Bachmann beat Wettlerling. It was Wetterling's second straight loss in the district. In the 5th, Rep. Keith Ellison became the first Muslim congressman. And in the 1st, incumbent Gil Gutknecht was defeated by DFLer Tim Walz.
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Patty Wetterling and Elwyn Tinklenberg both want to grab Mark Kennedy's House seat for the Democratic Party. They make their cases to the voters in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. (Midday, 05/10/2006)
Bachmann easily won the endorsement contest Saturday in Monticello and is looking ahead to the November election. Her three challengers say they are sticking to their pledge not to run in a primary. (05/06/2006)
Rep. Mark Kennedy has set his sights on the U.S. Senate, and there is a heated race underway for the Republican endorsement to take his place in Congress. (Midday, 05/03/2006)
Three of four candidates for the 6th District seat signed a pledge to honor the party endorsement process. But a fourth refused to sign, although he says he'll abide by it. (04/21/2006)
The common campaign theme among the Republican challengers is that Congress doesn't just need more Republicans, it needs more conservative Republicans. (04/17/2006)
Just ahead of a due date for property tax payments - and just weeks before the fall election - rebate checks averaging $205 would begin arriving in the mailboxes of homeowners if House Republican lawmakers get their way. (04/10/2006)
There's always some politics in every policy debate at the Legislature. Republican Reps. Phil Krinkie and Jim Knoblach are taking that to a higher level at the Capitol, because they're running against each other for the same Congressional seat. Some say they're trying to "out-conservatize" each other. (04/07/2006)
Even though the Legislature doesn't have a budget to balance this year, there are a number of tax-related proposals on the table, including eliminating the so-called marriage penalty, raising the state sales tax and the increasing the income tax. (Midday, 04/06/2006)
Ending more than a year of gridlock, a Senate committee today finally held a hearing on -- and then voted down -- a controversial bill that would put the definition of marriage on November's ballot as an amendment to the state constitution. (04/04/2006)
Jacob Wetterling Foundation officials say they've been considering the name change for several years, but one board member says Patty Wetterling's political campaign is also playing a role in the possible change. (03/10/2006)
State Sen. Michele Bachmann has suspended her congressional campaign while she enters a hospital for medical treatment. (02/27/2006)
Patty Wetterling's announcement has upset the other Democrat in the race and has Republicans hopeful that the seat will stay in their hands. (02/03/2006)
Children's safety advocate Patty Wetterling said Friday she is ending her Democratic campaign for U.S. Senate, and threw her support to Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar. (01/20/2006)
Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Minnesota are going to have a tougher time getting the measure on the ballot next November. They've lost two critical votes in the Minnesota Senate in recent special elections. (12/28/2005)
If a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage makes it on the ballot next year, it could give a big boost to Republican candidates for governor and U.S. Senate. (11/21/2005)