Candidates Mark Dayton and Yvonne Prettner-Solon made several campaign visits to the North Shore. They are pictured here at the Senior Center in Grand Marais. The pair will be Minnesota’s next governor and lieutenant governor.
The Minnesota gubernatorial race came to an end on Wednesday, December 8, 2010 when the State Election Canvassing Board certified the results of the election and recount, making Mark Dayton the next governor of Minnesota.
As Tom Scheck of news partner Minnesota Public Radio News wrote after the announcement, “Now comes the hard part for Mark Dayton.” The DFL Governor-Elect and his Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner-Solon take office as the state faces a $6.2 billion deficit and 7 percent unemployment rates. Dayton also takes over the governorship when the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate will be controlled by the Republican Party—the first time since 1972. It won’t be easy for Dayton and Prettner-Solon.
Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez congratulated Governor- Elect Mark Dayton and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Yvonne Prettner Solon and said, “Throughout the campaign and the recount, and all through his life of public service, Mark Dayton has listened to the people of Minnesota, and has worked to find solutions to their problems and to deliver results. Now that this election process is complete, Governor-Elect Dayton can get to work addressing the state’s budget crisis, supporting public education, and creating jobs.”
Many other DFL leaders also issued congratulatory messages, including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar who said, “I congratulate Governor-elect Dayton and look forward to working with him on the issues important to Minnesota families and businesses. I commend Tom Emmer on his difficult decision, and respect him for making sure we have a smooth transition between administrations. I wish both him and his family the best.”
Republican candidate Tom Emmer gave a concession speech from his Delano, Minnesota home on December 8, congratulating Dayton and offering to help him in any way as he assumes the role of Minnesota’s governor, adding a caveat, “That doesn’t mean agreeing with him all of the time. I suspect that there may be a disagreement or two, but it does mean giving him and his administration the respect it deserves.”
Dayton was scheduled to meet with outgoing Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty on Thursday, December 9 to discuss the transition of the governor’s office.
Dayton told MPR that he was ready for the challenges ahead, noting that voters will punish both him and lawmakers if they fail to fix the state’s budget problems.
“The reason that the taxpayers are paying our salaries to be in this building is to make decisions that are going to improve the quality of their lives,” he said. “And that’s how we’ll all be judged properly.”
Dayton and Prettner-Solon will be sworn in as governor and lieutenant governor on Monday, January 3, 2011.
This news report is in part courtesy
of our news partners, Minnesota
Public Radio. MPR News can be heard
in Grand Marais on 89.7 FM or online
at MPRnewsQ.org.
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