The presumptive Republican nominee for secretary of state suddenly left that race with a surprise announcement Monday morning.

Nguyen, who serves as chairman of New Asia Partners and Newport Capital, both Minneapolis-based financial services firms, kicked off his campaign for the state's top elections official at a Capitol news conference.

Rachel Larson Bohman wasted no time getting into the race for Minnesota secretary of state. Within an hour of DFL officeholder Mark Ritchie’s Tuesday announcement that he would not seek a third term in 2014, Bohman released a statement putting her name in the ring as a Democrat.