ST. PAUL -- Tom Horner's campaign has rolled out big-name supporters for the Independence Party governor candidate.
The campaign brought out a baker's dozen of former Republican lawmakers to announce they support Horner, saying Republican candidate Tom Emmer is too far right politically. Also, a variety of supporters, ranging from rural to urban, went in front of microphones.
Best known of the ex-GOP lawmakers is George Pillsbury, state senator in the 1970s and early 1980s and a member of the Pillsbury food products family.
"He still makes more sense than any of the alternatives," Pillsbury said about Horner, a longtime friend.
Pillsbury, approaching 90 years old, said he also is a friend of Democratic candidate Mark Dayton, who was an all-state hockey goalie. "But we need something more than that for a governor."
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Former state Rep. Dennis Ozment of Rosemount said he is in "the Horner corner" because the Independence candidate can bring the two political extremes together. "Tom Horner is an experienced uniter."
Deputy GOP Chairman Michael Brodkorb said the ex-lawmakers are from a "bygone era."
Included in Horner's supporters is a former North Dakota governor: Allen Olson, governor from 1981-84 after being attorney general for eight years.
Olson moved to the Twin Cities area two years after he lost re-election to Democrat George Sinner. Olson, a Republican, joins former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson in Horner's camp.
Not to be outdone, the National Federation of Independent Businesses
endorsed Emmer, and community leaders from around Minnesota came out for
Dayton.
Waving the flags
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It looked like the Fourth of July as state Rep. Tom Rukavina stood in front of 10 flags to denounce Emmer's record of voting against jobs.
"This whole election is about jobs," the Virginia Democrat said, adding that Emmer has not supported bills that would have led to more work for Minnesotans.
Rukavina said Emmer, a fellow legislator, would follow incumbent Gov. Tim Pawlenty, under whose tenure Minnesota has gained an average of 185 jobs a year.
The fiery Iron Range lawmaker said that 34,400 new jobs were created each year under Gov. Rudy Perpich, 45,200 under Gov. Arne Carlson and 23,500 under Gov. Jesse Ventura.
The flags were more than a patriotic prop. They illustrated a Rukavina bill that became law in 2007 to make it illegal to sell American flags made outside of this country. Emmer voted against it.
DFL ads begin
Two Democratic-Farmer-Labor statewide candidates are airing television commercials, joining the three major governor candidates and a bunch of independent organizations.
Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's first commercial of the year, a 30-second spot, features him talking about his commitment to Minnesota voters. Republican Rep. Dan Severson is challenging Ritchie.
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State Auditor Rebecca Otto released both a television commercial and a series of Web videos.
Otto's TV spot is called "Excellence in Accountability," named after an award she received from a national auditors' association.
Her campaign Web site also is rolling out what are called "online doorknocks," so-called because Otto does not have a chance to knock on every Minnesotan's door, but in the videos she says what she would say if she could meet all voters.
Otto's major opponent is the Republican woman she beat in 2006, former Auditor Pat Anderson.
Also, the DFL Party launched its first commercial of the season, supporting governor candidate Mark Dayton's education ideas.
8th District buzz
Just as the political buzz is increasing in Northeastern Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar released a new television commercial.
In the spot, the Chisholm Democrat features Joyce Fisk, a Harris truck driver, talking about how federal stimulus money put her back to work.
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The commercial comes when national politicos are talking about an internal GOP poll that appear to show Republican Chip Cravaack just points behind Oberstar, first elected in 1974 and chairman of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Democrats discount the poll, saying it was designed to make Cravaack look good.
The poll has received quite a bit of attention in national blogs and news outlets.
Don Davis works for Forum Communications Co., which owns the News Tribune.
