Can you contain
your excitement?
U.S. Rep. Tim Walz said Monday he is running for governor in 2018.
Walz said in a phone interview that he brings a "passion for Minnesota" and a "proven ability to get things done working with other folks."
A Mankato DFLer representing the First Congressional District, Walz was elected in 2006. DFL powerbrokers have been hoping Walz would run, given his ability to garner votes in greater Minnesota. Walz has been re-elected in tough Democratic years like 2010 but barely squeaked by in 2016 despite facing weak opposition. Walz ran ahead of DFL presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who lost the district by 15 points.
From what I can tell, Walz hasn't proven he can win votes anywhere but Mankato and Rochester. That's a start, but he's going to be a tough sell in the metro. Given what happened in 2016, there was a good chance he was going down in the next election cycle in his congressional district, so he might as well give it a go for governor, especially given the announced competition:
He joins State Auditor Rebecca Otto, Rep. Erin Murphy and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman in the DFL race. Others considering a run are U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, Rep. Paul Thissen and Attorney General Lori Swanson.
If you can find a compelling candidate out of that gaggle, let Ken Martin know.
2 comments:
I'll be glad not to have him representing me in DC, but I'm not quite sure how enthusiastic I am about Hagedorn. He did not distinguish himself in 2014 when he promised to support Aaron Miller and then reneged on it. Hoping for someone of more distinguished ethics than Hagedorn, to be honest.
(to be fair, I'm friends with the Millers, so I've got a little dog in this fight, but I think we need to have some character here, and I don't believe Hagedorn showed it)
I have a feeling the R’s will have a better candidate than Hagedorn on offer, Bubba. Not sure who it is yet, but they will.
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