Seifert's roll-out was accompanied by perhaps the most comprehensive and ambitious gubernatorial platform yet seen in the race.

Zellers announced his plans to seek the office on a sunny Sunday in Maple Grove, surrounded by supporters. In launching his run, the six-term GOP lawmaker railed on the governor and DFL majorities for passing $2 billion in new tax increases this year.

Eagan resident Mike Owens made sure to shake freshman Republican Rep. Doug Wardlow’s hand when he walked by on his Fourth of July parade route Monday morning. Owens urged Wardlow to pass racino legislation and fight Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed tax increases and “inflated budget” to the end, even as legislators and the governor headed into the fourth day of a historic government shutdown. “Thirty-four billion is more than enough. As far as I’m concerned, they should have stuck with $30 billion,” he said.

The 2010 census figures contain some foreboding figures for DFLers looking to regain majorities in the state House and Senate. Of the 21 most populous House districts in the state, all are currently represented by Republicans.

Many Republican frosh have records of local civic service HD 15B: King Banaian King Banaian was surrounded by politics growing up in New Hampshire. The state is inundated with presidential hopefuls every four years, and Banaian was recruited at 15 to put flyers on doors for the George McGovern campaign.

Local governments across Minnesota have taken a budgetary pounding from the Legislature in the past two years. So is it a coincidence that a striking number of this year’s crop of legislative candidates come from the ranks of mayors’ offices and city councils around the state?

Glenn Gruenhagen in 25A and Kurt Daudt in 17A emerged victorious at Tuesday night's GOP endorsing conventions. They are both running to succeed retiring GOP incumbents.