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Governor: Kelly Doran


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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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Shopping center developer Kelly Doran, who put more than $1.6 million into his first shot at political office, quit the race for the DFL gubernatorial nomination Friday. (03/24/2006)
The DFL candidates for governor will all be watching Tuesday's precinct caucuses to see what kind of support they enjoy from party stalwarts. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson face no challenge within their parties. (Midday, 03/07/2006)
DFL gubernatorial candidate Kelly Doran explains where he stands on issues ranging from health care to gay marriage as part of Midday's ongoing Meet the Candidates series. (Midday, 02/28/2006)
A candidate forum on business issues was the latest in which Attorney General Mike Hatch chose not to participate. Some Democrats are wondering why Hatch is keeping a low profile on the campaign trail. (02/08/2006)
The governor's rivals say Pawlenty is clearly running for re-election so he should cancel his weekly radio show. But the governor and the station that airs the program say legally Pawlenty is not a candidate, and his opponents should not expect to get equal airtime. (02/03/2006)
DFL candidate Kelly Doran leads the money chase in the Minnesota governor's race, thanks mainly to his own loans. In the Senate race, Mark Kennedy is outpacing DFLer Amy Klobuchar. (01/31/2006)
Issues of particular concern to women dominated the latest DFL gubernatorial forum, sponsored by the DFL Feminist Caucus on Sunday. (01/16/2006)
DFL gubernatorial candidate Kelly Doran has added State Sen. Sheila Kiscaden to his ticket. Kiscaden was an Independence Party member and former Republican from Rochester, who is switching to the DFL Party. Doran and Kiscaden say they plan to reach out to Minnesotans across the political spectrum. (01/09/2006)
Now, as party activists learn of DFLer Kelly Doran's past donations to Republicans, the candidate for governor finds himself defending his Democratic credentials. (12/16/2005)
The 2006 race for Minnesota governor became more visible Friday, when four candidates shared a stage for the first time. Democrats Kelly Doran, Steve Kelley and Becky Lourey, and Independence Party member Peter Hutchinson spoke at a business forum on early childhood education. The four criticized Gov. Pawlenty's leadership in this area. (11/18/2005)
Attorney General Mike Hatch is officially entering the governor's race. Hatch could be a formidable candidate, having won statewide office twice. But he also ran unsuccessfully for governor twice in the 1990s, and there's no guarantee he will get the DFL endorsement in '06. Several DFLers are already running for governor, and they say Hatch joining the race doesn't discourage them at all. (10/23/2005)
Kelly Doran says he's exiting Minnesota's U.S. Senate race and entering the governor's race because he underestimated the impact being a senator would have on his family. (09/21/2005)
A political newcomer who calls himself a centrist Democrat has entered the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mark Dayton. Kelly Doran will use some of his personal wealth as he woos moderate Democrats in the race. (06/05/2005)
Senate candidates Mark Kennedy, Amy Klobuchar and Patty Wetterling each list assets of less than $1 million in financial disclosure forms while a fourth candidate said his assets and liabilities both exceed $50 million, according to an Associated Press review. (05/27/2005)
A little known real estate developer announced Monday that he will challenge child-safety advocate Patty Wetterling and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar for the Minnesota DFL's nomination in the 2006 U.S. Senate race. (05/16/2005)