The total collection gives him a significant advantage over the Republican field.

For his encore, Marty Seifert doesn’t want to talk as much about politics. The former Republican House minority leader launched his second bid for the governor’s office on Thursday, more than three years after activists denied him endorsement in the 2010 race. At kickoff events, he highlighted his work with the Avera Marshall Foundation and selling real estate in the years since that failed campaign.

A national Republican group is hammering DFLers in three greater Minnesota congressional districts over the technical failures that have beset the rollout of the federal health insurance exchange.

Franken's overall collection for the quarter was in excess of $2 million, thanks to $231,000 in transfers from his "Midwest Values" political action committee.

Michelle Manke's announcement focuses on government spending and financial topics, and makes no mention of social issues.

Former U.S. representative and senator Rod Grams, who rose to politics after years as a television anchor, died on Tuesday at the age of 65. Grams, who suffered from cancer, had been in hospice care at his home in Crown, Minnesota for the last several weeks.

Former Long Lake Mayor Randy Gilbert is the only announced Republican challenger

U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson took in less than $100,000 in the second quarter of 2013. For a thirteen-term legislator, who is the ranking minority member of the Agriculture Committee, that's a paltry sum. By comparison, in the second quarter of 2011, Peterson took in $161,000.

Republicans have traditionally opposed Minnesota’s political contribution refund program, which was reinstated on Monday when the state’s new biennial budget took effect. In fact, it was GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty who successfully proposed scrapping the program four years ago. But despite their dislike for state-subsidized political contributions, Republican candidates and party units disproportionately benefited from the program during the two decades that it was in place.

In recent election cycles, Alliance for a Better Minnesota has galvanized support for DFL candidates and causes. The Minnesota Jobs Coalition is hoping to play a similar role on behalf of Republicans.