By Rachel E. Stassen-Berger

Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, one of nearly a dozen DFL candidates for governor, sent out a new list today of endorsements from public officials. The endorsements from nine current members of the Legislature mean more than just a nod to her candidacy.

DFL members of the Legislature are super-delegates to next year's party convention so their support could add up to powerful votes in the fight for party endorsements. There will be at least 150 super, or at large, delegates as well as 1,200 delegates elected at February's caucus who will vote on whom the party should back.

The list released today from the Kelliher campaign:

  • Representative Karla Bigham
  • Representative Kathy Brynaert
  • Representative Lyndon Carlson
  • Representative Frank Hornstein
  • Representative Paul Marquart
  • Representative Terry Morrow
  • Representative John Persell
  • Representative Nora Slawik
  • Representative Ryan Winkler
  • Former State Rep. Frank Moe
  • Former State Senator Becky Lourey

The Minnesota Progressive Project, a liberal blog, has been tracking endorsements from super-delegates here. Before this most recent spate of endorsements, Kelliher had 14 of the powerful voters and State Sen. Tom Bakk, a candidate from Cook, also had 14, according to their list.

Update:

According to the list on Kelliher's Web site, she now has the nod from 34 current DFL members of the Legislature.