politics

On a sunny spring morning in Uptown, a tall man wearing black slacks and a dark blue dress shirt crisscrossed Hennepin Avenue passing out campaign literature at two busy bus stops.

"I'm Matt Entenza and I am running for governor," he said to a hurried commuter. "Please vote on Aug. 10."

Most people were gracious. A few looked like they couldn't quite place his face. A couple seemed bothered.

"It's about name ID at this point," said Entenza, a DFLer who appeared untroubled by the less-than-giddy reaction he drew in the left-leaning neighborhood. "Most people aren't following the election yet."

Entenza is the long shot among the three major DFL candidates in the primary.

A former House minority leader, Entenza has been campaigning for a year, and airing TV ads across the state for more than a month. He brings considerable personal wealth to the task and boasts one of the largest campaign staffs in the DFL field.

Yet Entenza continues to lag well behind both Mark Dayton, a former U.S. senator with unrivaled name recognition, and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the DFL endorsee.

Once considered a DFLer on the rise, Entenza's path was derailed in 2006 when, as an attorney general candidate, he hired a private investigator to research then-Attorney General Mike Hatch, the DFL's gubernatorial candidate. Entenza later apologized, but was forced to withdraw. In a slow process to rebuild his political career, Entenza created a think tank, Minnesota 2020. It has become an established part of the political scene, churning out the policy positions reflective of his agenda.

Now, Entenza says he is ready to resume his place on Minnesota's political stage and seems comfortable with the slow boil of his campaign.

To share his story, he is hop-scotching the state, piloting a rented airplane and peppering the airwaves with commercials that highlight his hard-luck childhood and belief that Minnesota is losing its way.

He remains resolute that he will clear the name recognition hurdle. "By the time we get to Election Day, people will know who I am and what my message is."

To improve education, Entenza wants to get rid of No Child Left Behind, a federal program that requires standardized tests and sets measurable goals. He also proposes retooling state funding formulas to ensure more money goes to schools. Entenza wants to boost money for the state's colleges and universities. Plus he wants to forge partnerships between area colleges and universities and local companies, particularly industries tied to clean energy.

A story, a plan

To understand Entenza's quest, it helps to consider the life story that he recounts again and again on the campaign trail.

He was raised in Santa Monica, Calif., until he was 15, when his alcoholic father vanished and the family lost their house. With nowhere to turn, the family moved to Worthington to live with his grandmother.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me," he said.

To Entenza, Worthington was an earnest, loving southwest Minnesota town where families took care of one another. He credits the schools with his transformation from aimless teen into a prosecutor, legislator and, perhaps, governor.

"This is a state that believed that even a kid from a tiny town, with an obscure name, and a family that didn't have a lot of resources, deserved an opportunity," he said. "That tells me what I need to do as governor. ... I think those opportunities are going away."

A big part of his energy is devoted to introducing himself to the state. He is quick to tell the story of his wayward father, which has become a signature in his political narrative, always delivered in a spare, unemotional style.

His campaign, like his life, has urban roots with strong tethers to rural areas.

A millionaire who now lives a few blocks from Macalester College, Entenza has a scruffy campaign headquarters on University Avenue. A handful of field organizers work around the state. During a recent visit, the St. Paul office was filled with an eclectic mix of staffers; urban hipsters to campaign junkies to policy wonks.

Entenza is also trying to dispel the notion that he is an urban liberal who doesn't connect with rural areas.

"There are some folks who assume, you know, because I was a lawyer and a prosecutor, and because I live in St. Paul, that I am a metro guy who doesn't know what the state's really like," Entenza said. "That really gets to me; it makes me wild."

At 6-5 with small eyes and a quick smile, Entenza is not imposing. He's not easy-going either. Stoic and careful by nature, he can be charming in a quiet, thoughtful way. Out on the campaign trail, he always appears to be scanning his life for the right anecdote.

Earlier this month, he walked into Professional Fit, an alteration shop on St. Paul's Selby and introduced himself to owner Amy Hunter. Entenza noticed the shop displayed a picture of President Obama, the First Lady and Oprah Winfrey.

"After I get elected, I am going to get you a picture of me and Robyne," Entenza said of his running mate, the former TV anchorwoman Robyne Robinson who brought a dose of name recognition to the ticket.

Path to victory

Entenza has several advantages that could propel him to victory, but they generally originate from one factor: money.

Entenza's wife, Lois Quam, made millions as CEO of a division of UnitedHealth Group. After that, she headed strategic investments in health care and the green economy at Piper Jaffray.

Entenza's wealth and fundraising efforts have allowed him what might be a crucial one-two punch leading to the primary: a notable media campaign and a ground crew of 47 interns and paid staffers.

He is also widely known for an almost pathological devotion to conveying his message.

"The main difference between Matt and his opponents is his focus on communicating with Minnesotans," said Glen Fladeboe, who did media relations for him in the Legislature. "He believes that to be successful inside the marble walls of the Capitol, you have to be great at communicating with the people outside of the Capitol."

John Shannon has a video webcast where he and a small crew discuss politics and issues of the day. Shannon invited Entenza, Dayton and Kelliher to be on his show. Entenza was the only candidate to show.

"What struck me about Matt Entenza is he's willing to talk to somebody in my little corner of the blogosphere," said Shannon of Anoka. "Clearly, he's willing to reach out to as many everyday Minnesotans as he can to win the election."

Many political watchers have been surprised that Entenza hasn't caught fire. GOP operatives, who considered him a major threat last year, no longer track the campaign with the same vigor, said state GOP chairman Tony Sutton.

Entenza lacks the usual stable big-name Democrats. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, a former law school buddy, withdrew his early support to back Kelliher after she was endorsed.

Some DFLers remain troubled by the nature of his departure from the scene in 2006. His supporters say the incident is meaningless to the average Minnesotan and that Entenza was criticized for a level of ambition that is not uncommon among top politicians.

"Matt's ambitious, but what's wrong with that?" Ellison said. "We live on the premise that you should pursue happiness. What's wrong with wanting things?"