Despite Gov. Mark Dayton’s much-touted vision of a government-streamlining “un-session,” some of his fellow DFLers are actively pursuing the opposite agenda in one notable instance: the push to revive that long-defunct state entity known as the Legislative Water Commission.

The latest conventional wisdom points to chief of staff Tina Smith as the odds-on favorite.

In with the new (and old) as Capitol Report continues to profile all 65 of the newly elected members of the Minnesota Legislature.

Minnesota’s 2012 Democratic legislative campaigns started about two years ago. The exact date depends on who you ask.

On paper the open seat in House District 43A should favor the DFL nominee. Partisan indexes suggest the district tilts in their favor by anywhere from 2 to 14 percentage points.

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie predicted a low voter turnout for Tuesday's primary election, putting his estimate at around 15 percent participation from eligible voters. As it turns out, the state didn't even reach that number.

Peter Fischer faced a barrage of attack mailings from opponent Bob Hillin the DFL primary in House District 43A. But the DFL-endorsed candidate ultimately prevailed by an 8 percent margin on Tuesday.

Attorney Bob Hill has released a pair of misleading mailings in recent days attacking his opponent, DFL-endorsed candidate Peter Fischer, in the House District 43A contest.

As the state’s late-summer primary date approaches next week, more DFL candidates find themselves in the midst of competitive intra-party contests than Republicans.

House District 43A is an odd creation. It meanders from the border of St. Paul to the northeast and contains at least part of five cities, including Maplewood, White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi.