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Governor


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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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DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch has been keeping a relatively low profile since entering the race for governor. In Midday's ongoing Meet the Candidates series, Hatch explains what he'd do if voters put him in the governor's office this November. (Midday, 02/27/2006)
Midday's Meet the Candidates series continues with gubernatorial hopeful Steve Kelley. State Sen. Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, chairs the Senate Education Committee and is in his third term in the Minnesota State Senate. (Midday, 02/22/2006)
Midday's "Meet the Candidates" series continues with Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Becky Lourey. (Midday, 02/21/2006)
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)
On Thursday, President Bush makes his 18th stop in Minnesota since taking office. Given recent approval ratings, does his appearance cast a negative shadow on GOP candidates here? Or does it fire up the base? (02/01/2006)
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)
Peter Hutchinson's thirst for adventure took him to the top of Washington's Mt. Rainier in 1985. That climb might seem easy compared to his latest endeavor - a third-party run for Minnesota governor. (01/25/2006)
Midday's "Meet the Candidates" series kicks off with former finance commissioner Peter Hutchinson. ( 01/25/2006)
Rallies took place all over the country on Sunday to mark the 33rd anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade court decision legalizing abortion. (01/23/2006)
Peter Hutchinson will officially enter the governor's race this week. The former Minneapolis schools superintendent and former state finance commissioner will run as an Independence Party candidate. (01/23/2006)
Issues of particular concern to women dominated the latest DFL gubernatorial forum, sponsored by the DFL Feminist Caucus on Sunday. (01/16/2006)
One week after saying he wanted to crack down on illegal immigration, Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposed ways to help legal immigrants. The Republican governor's plan includes a new tax credit for immigrants seeking citizenship, and more money for English language instruction and immunizations. (01/12/2006)
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)
Gov. Pawlenty wants the state to add facial recognition technology to Minnesota drivers' licenses to prevent identity theft. His announcement comes a day after Attorney General Mike Hatch raised similar concerns, and signals that identity theft could be a hot topic in the race for governor. (01/05/2006)