Lori Swanson set to run for MN Governor, with Rick Nolan as running mate.

[Minnesota Mike]

Word is Keith Ellison is going to jump into the AG race.

Why would any sitting Congressman, from a safe seat no less, run for a lesser statewide office is just beyond me.

Xavier Becerra did it. Jeff Landry did it on the Republican side.

Adam Putman ran for FL AG commissioner.

[Minnesota Mike]

My prayers have been answered. Hopefully this starts off a chain reaction to get Ellison out of his seat and Ilhan Omar into it.

There's literally dozens of potential candidates, including many women, far more qualified and likely to take this seat than Omar.

Qualified? Maybe. Likely? Doubtful.

Omar is a national figure and  a natural fit for a very liberal district.

[Minnesota Mike]

Two new polls, One a for a Walz aligned PAC and one a Swanson Internal have Swanson in the lead for the DFL nomination.

https://twitter.com/JustinPerpich/status/1015263914072866816

By Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for Minnesota Victory PAC.

Swanson 37
Walz 29
Murphy 17

Victoria Reasearch and Consulting for Swanson:

Swanson 36
Walz 23
Murphy 13

[Minnesota Mike]

She wasn't endorsed by the NRA in 2014 but by some other gun rights group.

http://www.startribune.com/gun-owners-pac-goes-for-dfl-ag-swanson-anyone-but-dayton-for-governor/270025961/

Walz needs to use this to gain the upper hand.

Walz is also pro-gun himself or at least was until Parkland when he decided to favor an AWB.

You don't win in rural Minnesota by being to anti-gun.

[Minnesota Mike]

If all that is being said about Swanson is true, it's starting to seem like Dayton made the right call in appointing Smith rather than Swanson to the Senate seat.

Swanson's fine. Smith's fine. Both will win easily if they are on the November ballot.

[Minnesota Mike]

Swanson actually defeated a congressman in 2006 in the DFL primary for Attorney General, funny how history repeats itself.

Not that it matters but for the record she beat a former congressman (Bill Luther who finished 3rd in the primary), not a sitting congressman.

[Minnesota Mike]

Swanson winning the primary might cause the DFL to re-evaluate the idea of having conventions

I'm afraid you will never kill the conventions but maybe they will continue to lose their influence. Nothing wrong with Party activists making there recommendation but candidates should move on to the primary regardless and have to voters decide.

[Minnesota Mike]

look i mean none of this particularly matters - All three are going to beat Pawlenty, potentially by a lot.

Murphy would be a tossup IMO.