Former Sen. Mark Dayton, headed straight for the August primary, wasn't going to have his name placed in nomination (heck, he couldn't even get a floor pass), but an unidentified supporter nonetheless offered up his name Saturday morning.
Doing so, the nominator said Dayton is the DFL's strongest supporter of affirmative action.
Rick Stafford, a Democratic National Committee member representing Dayton, withdrew his name. "Mark had asked his supporters not to put his name in nomination," Stafford explained afterward. "He's been clear that he wants the Democratic voters of the whole state to make the decision."
Dayton and former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza are expected to present formidable challenges to the DFL-endorsed gubernatorial candidate, but are effectively skipping the endorsing process, saying they will run in the primary instead.
