Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in San Diego for a Republican Governors Association meeting Wednesday, said Minnesota's governor's race had been won by the Democrat, according to NBC's First Read.

That may be a surprise to Republicans in Minnesota.

The Democrat would be Mark Dayton, who leads Republican Tom Emmer by about 9,000 votes.

Pawlenty quickly clarified there is no winner in the race yet because the margin is so close that there's an automatic recount.

"It would be premature," he said by way of correction to assume the Minnesota race is over, NBC reported.

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