Rukavina lieutenant governor 'pick': Salper, Metsa, Littler, Rybak, Kelliher

It was hard to miss the Rukavina/Salper button at the state DFL convention in Duluth. As the convention got underway in Friday, many political watchers were obsessed with who various gubernatorial candidates will pick as their running mate. Iron Rang gubernatorial candidate Tom Rukavina hadn't announced his lieutenant governor pick. Or had he? Wait. There goes a Rukavina/Metsa button. Salper? Metsa? Who is it? "It's kind of a joke," said Orrie Salper, Rukavina's political director. Rukavina printed untold number of buttons with myriad running mates, from political staffers to leading gubernatorial candidates. Somewhere there's a Rukavina/R.T. Rybak button, Salper said. It's probably right next to the Rukavina/Margaret Anderson Kelliher button. The Rukavina camp plans to "infiltrate" various convention delegations with buttons that reflect strategic lieutenant governor picks, such as beloved local DFLers. "We plan to have a little fun with it," Salper said.