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U.S. Senate: Michael Cavlan


SNAPSHOT
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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Democrat Amy Klobuchar, Republican Mark Kennedy and Independence Party candidate Robert Fitzgerald have all proposed ways to provide more health insurance coverage by controlling the cost of health care. (10/06/2006)
DFL candidate for Senate Amy Klobuchar talks about running for the open seat vacated by Mark Dayton. The campaign for Senate has turned negative in recent days. (Midmorning, 10/02/2006)
The latest ads in the Senate race are about crime in Hennepin County. Mark Kennedy, a Republican, is accusing DFLer Klobuchar of being soft on crime and breaking 1998 campaign promises. (09/29/2006)
DFLer Amy Klobuchar continues to maintain a double-digit lead over Republican Mark kennedy in the U.S. Senate race. (09/25/2006)
A blogger directed Amy Klobuchar's Senate campaign staffer to a competitor's ad through a Web link. The blogger says he did nothing wrong. Some legal experts disagree. (09/21/2006)
Democrat Amy Klobuchar's U.S. Senate campaign has fired its chief spokeswoman, revealing Wednesday that she viewed an unreleased TV ad for Republican candidate Mark Kennedy that may have been illegally obtained. (09/21/2006)
The two leading U.S. Senate hopefuls used an AARP debate Tuesday night to draw distinctions, not just in differences of policy but in honesty and effectiveness. (09/19/2006)
The DFLer is ahead of Kennedy in virtually every demographic category that the poll measured and has extended a lead among moderates and independents over the summer. (09/18/2006)
Clinton's appearance, and the $1 million he took in for Klobuchar, raises the stakes in the battle. Rep. Mark Kennedy responded with a new TV ad. (09/16/2006)
The three major party endorsed candidates running for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat held a heated debate on health care, the war in Iraq and tax policy Friday at the Minnesota State Fair. (09/01/2006)
The three major party-endorsed U.S. Senate candidates participate in a live debate at the Minnesota State Fair. (Midday, 09/01/2006)
The war in Iraq and homeland security are likely to be the biggest issues in this year's U.S. Senate race. The major party candidates have been airing their differences on those topics this week. (08/18/2006)
Mark Kennedy's 2006 Senate campaign has thus far kept a distance from President Bush, at least in TV campaign ads. Kennedy has however used the White House to raise more than $1.5 million in the last year. (08/17/2006)
The war on terror is suddenly getting a lot more attention on the campaign trail. Minnesota's U.S. Senate candidates were among the politicians who responded quickly to news of the foiled terrorist plot in London to bomb commercial airliners, pledging their resolve to fight terrorism. (08/10/2006)
The Republican-endorsed candidate for Minnesota's U.S. Senate race stepped up his criticism Friday of his chief DFL opponent. Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy said Amy Klobuchar has not taken a clear stance regarding the war in Iraq. Kennedy, who is trailing in the polls, said Minnesota's Senate race could determine which party controls the Senate next year. (08/04/2006)