Minnesota faces three major choices to select their next governor -- tap Independence Party's Peter Hutchinson, elect DFL candidate Mike Hatch or re-elect Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the Republican nominee.
Hutchinson is running a long-shot campaign, but he is making some legitimate points. He is certainly right on roads: "They suck," he said. He has experience as a businessman, a school superintendent and a state finance commissioner. He knows numbers.
Hatch has been running a tough campaign and is in a tight horserace with Pawlenty. He is less personable than the governor. He has experience as state Attorney General and commerce commissioner. A Duluth native and former merchant seaman, he is a street fighter. Some criticize this as "meanness," but he says he is just fighting for Minnesotans.
Pawlenty is in the political dogfight of his life. He is the incumbent, but in a virtual tie in most polls. His "no new tax" pledge limited his options during his first term's budget shortfalls.
Yet during his first term, Pawlenty balanced the state budget by eliminating a massive deficit, rewrote state academic standards, maintained his commitment not to raise taxes and moved the state out of the top 10 in state and local taxes.
ADVERTISEMENT
For the future, Pawlenty has made moderate promises based on financing new spending via economic growth surpluses. The governor is the budget architect for the state and will maintain a frugal eye on state spending.
Pawlenty should be re-elected as Minnesota's governor.
