On the steps of the state Capitol, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton stood in the sleet on Thursday to encourage a crowd of hundreds to push their legislators to legalize gay marriage this session.

In a St. Paul new conference on Wednesday, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin was joined by Independence Party spokesman Matt Lewis, Libertarian Party Chairman Bob Odden and Minneapolis City Councilor and Green Party member Cam Gordon to announce their support for the legislation this session. The Minnesota Log Cabin Republicans also support the bill, but were not present at the news conference.

The DFL Party of Minnesota has filed a complaint with the Office of Administrative Hearings against Republican Rep. Greg Davids for "false political attacks" against a handful of freshman DFL legislators.

During the fall campaign season, the Republican Party of Minnesota sent out mailings in Senate District 4 accusing Kent Eken of voting to raise the “granny tax.”

Republican political operative Michael Brodkorb was hospitalized after a one-car accident on Interstate 35E in Mendota Heights on Wednesday evening.

On the last leg of a nearly week long bus tour of the state, DFL party leaders gathered in Eden Prairie Monday afternoon to encourage suburban voters to get out and vote DFL from the top of the ticket on down.

When it comes to spending by Minnesota’s political parties, the state DFL has emerged as the No. 1 player in the 2012 battle for control of Legislature.

DFL legislative and party leaders and Gov. Mark Dayton plan to tour swing districts throughout the state in the six days before the Nov. 6 general election.

With no groundswell predicted for either party in this year’s election, the legislative races in Eagan’s District 51 are once again likely to prove pivotal in GOP efforts to retain control of the Legislature.

DFL Party officials say a House Republican campaign staffer posed as a Democrat in a recent letter to the editor in an effort to pull votes away from the DFL-backed candidate.