Kurt Zellers Launches Campaign for Minnesota Governor

The state representative and former Speaker of the House from Maple Grove Kurt Zellers announced his candidacy for governor Sunday in Maple Grove. 

See the Storify above (at our desktop site) or at Storify.com for images and tweets from the event. 

Minnesota Public Radio quoted Zellers going after Dayton: 

“I’ve earned the party’s endorsement every time I’ve been on the ballot, and I will work hard to earn our endorsement for governor. That begins right now. I am the only person in this race who has taken on Gov. Dayton and stopped his tax and spending increases,” Zellers said. “With the support of Republicans from around the state we will show that we can do it again.”

The Star Tribune put Zellers' path to the governor's mansion in perspective: 

The House speakership is generally viewed as state government's second-most powerful post, after the governor's office. But it hasn't launched many successful candidates for the top job. Only two Minnesota House speakers went on to be governor: William Merriam, governor from 1889 to 1893; and Samuel Van Sant, who led the state from 1901 to 1905. ...

"It's a difficult time trying to both keep a large caucus of members together while meeting the expectations of the electorate. It's a job that creates a lot of friends but a lot of enemies as well," said [former Republican House Speaker Steve] Sviggum, who has not endorsed a GOP candidate for governor.

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