House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher picked up a third endorsement today. Outstate Minnesota's AFSCME 65, based in Nashwuak on the Iron Range, gave the Minneapolitan DFL gubernatorial candidate the nod over the eight others who screened in the DFL race. Two of the others -- state Rep. Tom Rukavina and state Sen. Tom Bakk -- are from the Iron Range, the other candidates are closer to the Twin Cities.

From the union:


"Our Executive Board spent eight hours screening nine of the current candidates for governor," said George Plautz, President of AFSCME Council 65. "After hearing their views on issues of real concern to working people such as health care, education and jobs and considering who has the best chance to be elected, Anderson Kelliher was our choice," he added.

Greater Minnesota AFSCME Council 65 represents approximately 13,000 Minnesota local government, school, hospital, nursing home and non-profit employees outside the Twin Cities.

Kelliher got the MAPE endorsement last week and the engineers local 49 endorsement yesterday.

Question: Does three union nods in the space of a week give her momentum as Education Minnesota considers its endorsement next month?