Minnesota Lawyer
Former House Speaker Kurt Zellers, standing in the lobby of the Mayo Civic Center as GOP candidates and harried staffers swirled among delegates, affirmed that he’s not seeking the GOP’s endorsement for the governor’s race.
“He shows,” activist Jonathan Aanestad said to Zellers with a smile as he walked by.
When Zellers, a six-term representative from Maple Grove, announced former Rep. Dean Simpson as his running mate a week ago, he said he’d be at the convention this weekend. But Zellers declined repeated questions about whether he’d throw his name in the convention hat. “There was going to be a primary no matter what,” Zellers said on Friday, referencing another Republican, Scott Honour. “It wasn’t an easy decision by any means.”
Zellers said he wanted the opportunity to run in a primary so that he could reach out to busy voters who don’t necessarily have the time to show up to a political convention. “I think it’s a broader audience,” he said.
Other GOP candidates for governor include Robert Farnsworth, Jeff Johnson, Marty Seifert and Dave Thompson. The primary election is Aug. 12.
Zellers wasn’t a strong leader in the legislator, and he knew he couldn’t get enough support in the party for endorsement, so he opts out with weak excuses. On the other hand, marx dayton is such a disaster as governor, that almost anyone can beat him.