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Home | Politically Connected | State Politics

Jockeying for 2010 election has begun

Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty

Some high-profile DFLers are getting together to talk about the race for Minnesota governor, in an early start to the political maneuvering.

By MIKE KASZUBA, Star Tribune

Last update: October 7, 2008 - 8:54 AM

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Though it's still two years before Minnesota will elect its next governor, the jockeying for political position has already begun, at least on the DFL side.

A number of party leaders seen as possible candidates have met privately with each other recently. In just the past month, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has met with former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has scheduled a meeting with state Senate Taxes Committee Chairman Tom Bakk, and Bakk said he met recently with former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton. In addition, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher have both spoken with Entenza.

Most of the participants have declined to discuss details of the meetings, but Entenza appears to have been the most active in the political maneuvering. Gaertner, who, like Bakk, has announced a plan to run, said she cornered Entenza a few weeks ago at a DFL picnic in Princeton, Minn., after frequently seeing him at political events. "Matt told me then that he was ... thinking about running for governor," she said.

Entenza, who now heads Minnesota 2020, a public policy research firm, made an aborted run for state attorney general in 2006. He withdrew after disclosing that he had paid $40,000 to a Chicago company to conduct research into then-Attorney General Mike Hatch, who became the DFL gubernatorial candidate that year, and on Gov. Tim Pawlenty and a legislator.

Through a spokesman, Entenza declined to comment last week on his gubernatorial campaign plans.

The early positioning by the DFLers comes as Pawlenty, a Republican serving a second term, has said he will wait until next year before announcing whether he will seek reelection.

Pawlenty hasn't won a majority of the votes in either of his gubernatorial races -- winning pluralities in two three-way contests -- but his profile rose this summer when he was a finalist to be John McCain's running mate. In a Star Tribune Minnesota Poll last month, Pawlenty's job performance received the approval of 54 percent of the respondents.

Bakk, a 14-year legislator from the Iron Range, said Rybak had called to meet later this month. Bakk also said that Entenza had arranged to meet him last Wednesday, but that the session was rescheduled for this week.

"[Rybak] initiated that call. Matt's not the only one going around doing that," Bakk said. "Mark Dayton called and wanted to meet. I met with him. He said he's planning on running.

"There's no question that I'm in," Bakk added.

In a separate interview last week, Dayton confirmed that he intends to run but said he would hold off on starting a formal campaign and fundraising until next year.

Bakk acknowledged that Dayton and Entenza, who are considered independently wealthy, would be formidable opponents and said there was speculation that the early jockeying might be tied to an attempt by some candidates to flex their financial muscle. "'Rangers' never back away from a fight," Bakk said of his reaction.

A spokesman for Rybak confirmed that the two-term mayor had met recently with Entenza at a coffee shop but said Rybak would provide no further details. Jeremy Hanson, the mayor's spokesman, said that the meeting was private and that he did not know who asked for it.

Coleman, St. Paul's mayor since 2006, also had little to say regarding his own meeting with Entenza. Regarding the possibility of a gubernatorial run, Bob Hume, a Coleman spokesman, said: "He hasn't ruled it out."

A spokesman for Kelliher likewise said the House speaker had recently met with Entenza but said she would not go into detail.

"On the surface, it was all about [Minnesota] 2020," Gaertner said of her suspicions as to why Entenza has been attending political events. "But you don't need to be appearing at a picnic in Princeton or a picnic in Morgan, Minnesota, to advance a think tank."

Staff writer Kevin Duchschere contributed to this report. Mike Kaszuba • 612-673-4388

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