Following Thao's retirement, district voters will send a new representative to the Legislature in November, and by all accounts that will be the DFL-backed candidate, Rena Moran.

Vice President Joe Biden made a stop in Minnesota Tuesday to stump for DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton and to assure about 1,000 students, politicians and teachers that Democrats are not going to be swept out of Minnesota or Washington after the general election.

The National Review has put together a list of 13 congressional races that could be surprisingly competitive in a year that's looking grim for Democrats. Among the contests that could supposedly break for the GOP: Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District.

Former state Rep. Shelley Madore will challenge Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline for Minnesota's Second Congressional District in November.

With primary voting less than 72 hours away, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher was out on the campaign trail Saturday attempting to motivate the DFL faithful. She attended a rally at the offices of TakeAction Minnesota with state legislative candidates Rena Moran and Vang Lor.

No matter who wins the DFL primary contest in House District 65A, history will almost certainly be made. The victor – either Jeremiah Ellis or Rena Moran — will stand poised to become the first African American ever to represent St. Paul in the Legislature.

In the days leading up to the DFL state convention in Duluth, the widespread belief was that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak had established crucial momentum. Of course, that’s not exactly how it played out. Kelliher led on all six ballots and exited the convention center with the party’s backing. Rybak went back to Minneapolis City Hall. In the end, organization trumped charisma. Kelliher earned the party’s nod through months of meticulous planning, a well-executed convention floor plan, loyal support from her fellow House members and a final boost from organized labor.

Back in the 1990s, in another political lifetime, political operatives like Mark Penn and Karl Rove made names for themselves by exploiting the advantages of closely defined messages to specific groups of voters via direct mail.

The filing deadline has come and gone. Candidates for the Minnesota Legislature are hitting the stump. But Democrats in 13 House and Senate districts and Republicans in 10 others will have to win in August to compete in November. Here are 10 legislative primaries to watch.

Behind the many headlines the Central Corridor LRT project has generated, a bevy of state and local organizations has collaborated to integrate renewable and efficient energy issues into the corridor’s ongoing story.