MN Governor
Pathway to the Governor’s Mansion in Minnesota, Part I: Political Experience
Overall, 79 percent of Minnesota’s governors (30 of 38) had some form of state government experience before becoming governor
Read MoreAbsence Does Not Make the Heart Grow Fonder: Pawlenty Disapproval Rating Reaches All-Time High
Pawlenty’s periodic absences from a state decidedly not out of the woods of its economic and budget crises may be causing the Governor’s popularity to be taking a hit
Read MoreMinnesotans Still Divided Over Pawlenty; Culver and Doyle Ratings in 30s
While residents of Iowa and Wisconsin are speaking in loud, disapproving voices over the performance of their respective Democratic governors, Minnesotans are still basically split down the middle over how they rate the performance of Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty. The…
Read MoreWill Minnesota and Wisconsin Elect Governors from the Same Political Party in 2010?
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s official announcement on Monday that he would not be seeking a third term created not only a newfound battle for the Democratic nomination, but also a scenario whereby the Badger and Gopher States will both…
Read MoreCan the DFL End Its Gubernatorial Drought?
With House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s announcement that she is now officially in the 2010 gubernatorial race, the DFL adds yet another hopeful face to end a near quarter-century drought since the party last won the prized statewide office in…
Read MorePawlenty on the Rebound? Governor’s Approval Rating Reaches Highest Mark in 2009
Now more than two months removed from a brutal budget battle with the DFL, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has seen his approval numbers rise to its highest level this year, according to SurveyUSA’s latest ‘snapshot in time.’ Pawlenty’s approval rating…
Read More26 Days and Counting: Why Norm Coleman Isn’t Talking 2010
When former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman ended his 2008 election battle last month, he surprised many journalists by answering the inevitable question about whether he would run for governor with a more detailed answer than expected. Coleman first stated on…
Read MoreWhat Will Be the ‘Obama Effect’ on the 2010 Minnesota Gubernatorial Race?
The recent news of Barack Obama’s sliding approval ratings across key battleground states (e.g. Ohio, Virginia) as well as the nation (e.g. Gallup, Rasmussen) has raised the question as to what effect a potentially less popular (if not unpopular) President…
Read MoreWhy Doesn’t Amy Klobuchar Run for Governor?
Despite overwhelming success in federal and state elections during the past few decades, the DFL may have missed its best chances (in 1998, 2006) to win a gubernatorial election in the Gopher State. Excluding gubernatorial contests, the DFL has won…
Read MorePawlenty Unallotment Strategy, Decision Not to Run in 2010 Have Little Impact on Approval Ratings
Just as Tim Pawlenty’s announcement that he would use an unallotment strategy to resolve the state’s budget crisis had little impact on his approval ratings in late May, his decision to not seek a third term as Minnesota’s Governor also…
Read More