Early returns in the Twin Cities giving DFLer Margaret Anderson Kelliher a lead have prompted some Dayton staffers to bank heavily on the heavily Democratic Iron Range to make up the difference.
"It's going to be a long night," said Dayton spokeswoman Katie Tinucci.
Of the Range, she said, "Mark is well known up there."
The cause of concern was Hennepin County, where with 86 percent of precincts counted, Kelliher led with 50 percent, followed by Dayton with 35 percent and Entenza with 14 percent.
Statewide, with less than 20 percent of precincts counted, Kelliher held an overall lead.
