Bob Carney: Bow-tie wearing Carney calls himself a "moderate progressive Republican" and was the first to sue Gov. Tim Pawlenty over his 2009 solo budget balancing. He has also called for the Legislature to explore whether Pawlenty should be impeached. He will run in the primary.

Leslie Davis: An environmental activist, Davis has often run for office but has never come close to winning. His pitch centers on his "money plan," which he claims can balance the state budget and lower taxes. He favors school vouchers and treating drug use "as a health matter, not a crime."

Bill Haas: A former Champlin mayor, he served in the Minnesota House for 10 years before losing his seat to a DFLer in 2004. Since leaving office, Haas has been a part-time lobbyist. He has run a low-key, low-dollar campaign.

Phil Herwig: A conservative Republican activist, he was prepared to run against Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty if he sought a third term. Herwig says candidates have run as anti-tax and against abortion but tend not to govern that way. Among his platform positions: "I will fight for the issuance of a death certificate for all children who die by reason of abortion."

RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER