Kathleen Lonergan has been kicking around the Capitol for 18 years, one of those behind-the-scenes staffers who quietly keeps things humming. On any given day she could offer up insight and institutional knowledge to any lawmaker, reporter or constituent ready to seek it.

In many ways, the closing statements being made via 30-second TV spot in the race for governor echo the tone of the whole campaign since around Labor Day. Ahead of Tuesday's vote, the campaigns of Republican Tom Emmer and Democrat Mark Dayton are doubling down on their respective messages - and seeking to convince skeptics that each is a swell guy to boot.

The city of Minneapolis is pushing hard to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention, releasing a video Tuesday citing 12 reasons why it should be selected for the event.

Think of Bob Hume as that big, beefy, bespectacled hurler who shows up in the final innings when the baseball game is on the line-with a killer pitch.

Ellen Anderson remembers the door she knocked on in 1992 that made her realize that her preconceptions about male voters might be somewhat inaccurate.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn, made the front page of USA Today on Friday, saying she is not the leader of the Tea Party, but a facilitator.

Javier Morillo moved to Minnesota in 2000 to pursue a career in academia at Carleton College. Two years later, Morillo and his domestic partner were slated to host a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone at their St. Paul home. Motivated by Wellstone's vote against the Iraq War, it was the first time they'd ever hosted such a gathering. But the day before the scheduled fundraiser, Wellstone died in a plane crash.

Speaker of the House and DFL-endorsed candidate for Minnesota governor Margaret Anderson Kelliher snagged an endorsement from David Wellstone, the son of late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, with just one week before a three-way battle at the primary.

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.

Marcia Avner has many tales to tell from her nearly 40 years of involvement in Minnesota politics. Avner, who just turned 67, is stepping down in September as public policy director for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, a title she’s held since 1996. She will hardly be retreating from public life, however. In a conversation last Thursday, she discussed the state’s changing political culture during the many years in which she has been a first-hand witness.