Pitching himself as a potential presidential candidate, Tim Pawlenty almost always is introduced as a former Republican governor from Democratic, blue Minnesota.

But how blue is Minnesota, really?

Without a doubt, the state is as blue as they come in presidential races. It has swung its electoral votes to Democratic candidates every four years since 1972 and was the only state to go for native son Walter Mondale in the 1984 race.

But scratch that surface and a more nuanced portrait appears.

Until 2010, when DFL Gov. Mark Dayton won in a squeaker, the state had not elected a Democratic governor since 1986. In fact, since Minnesota began electing governors to four-year terms (thanks to a 1958 constitutional amendment), it had voted for six Republican governors, five Democratic ones and one Reform Party governor (Jesse Ventura).

A little deeper: Since Minnesota became a state, it has sent more Republicans to the U.S. Senate than Democrats. Since 1978, it sent an equal number of Democrats as Republicans to the U.S. Senate.

In the state Legislature, the picture is mixed. Until this year, DFLers controlled the Senate since partisan elections began in the 1970s. Most recently, the Minnesota House has flipped back and forth between parties but more often has been held by DFLers than Republicans.

And today? A DFL governor, two Democratic U.S. senators, four Republican and four Democratic U.S. House members and a Legislature controlled by Republicans.

Despite all that, Republican Brian McClung, a former Pawlenty spokesman, was one of several Republicans who pitched a Twitter punch when it was suggested that the time had come to stop saying Minnesota is a traditionally blue state.

"Both US Sens are D. Ds controlled St Sen for 38 yrs & House most of that time. Produced HHH, McCarthy, Mondale, Wellstone=context," he replied.

"Minnesota has overall a blue tint and that is due in part to the very high profile Democrats who emerged from the Minnesota scene," he added in an interview. "Minnesota also has a tradition for being a high-service, high-tax state and that matches up with the Democrat philosophy."

While he did not say the state is true Democratic blue, he did end with: "The state is certainly blue-ish."

RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER