Full Reason Doran Switched Races

"No one is going to own me"
The full reason why Kelly Doran is now running for Governor .

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Kelly Doran said he was running for Governor instead of U.S. Senate because he wouldn’t see his kids as much if he moved to Washington D.C. Critics countered that Doran could take his kids with him to Washington, so was that the real reason he was switching races?

In an exclusive interview with Inside Minnesota Politics Doran gives us the full explanation about his exact reason for switching races. The answer may surprise you.

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Doran Announcement-Kelley Reaction And Analysis

You consider a lot of things that might happen when you run for Governor, but one thing that State Senator Steve Kelley didn't consider was the possiblity of Kelly Doran dropping out of the U.S. Senate race to run for the DFL endorsement for Governor.

"Certainly having a new candidate in makes voters choices somewhat more complicated." Kelley tells Inside Minnesota Politics. "It doesn't change the campaign plan. We're going to stay focused on grass roots organizing, getting around the state, meeting with people and building an organization that will help me to win the DFL endorsement and win the primary."

Click here to hear Kelley's reaction to Doran leaving open the possibility that he would run in the primary even if he lost the endorsement. Kelley also comments on Doran's decision to forgo State matching funds for his campaign. That will allow Doran to spend more than the campaign financing limits.

Also Peter's analysis of what this does to the Governor's race and the U.S. Senate race.

Doran Announcement Audio and Text

This is the statement Kelly Doran read this afternoon when announcing he is going to run for Governor. Listen Here.
(text is also embedded in the mp3 file as lyrics)

Thank you for being here. I have a statement I would like to give and then I will take any questions you may have. But first, I want to introduce my wife Maria and my little daughter Sydney. Our other children, Evan, Ali and Kramer are in school today. I also want to introduce our campaign team. John Wodele, Tonya Tennessen, Jill Sletten, Jim Goff, Terre Schmidt, Richard Katz, Kavi Turnbull, Joe O’Sullivan, Adam Barrett and Matt Coffee. I also want to thank the many volunteers who have worked on our campaign, marched in parades and supported us.

Three months ago, my wife Maria and I embarked on a new journey to seek elected office in order to serve our country and society. Not being a politician, we talked extensively about and sought advice regarding what the impacts of this decision would be to our family. We believed in our decision and we believed we could manage the impact on our children.

It is now clear to me that I underestimated the impact being a United States Senator would have on my family and especially my young children.

On the campaign trail this summer I thought often about my family. I thought more and more about what our life would be like if I won the senate race. But two recent events, taking my four year daughter Sydney to her first day of pre-school and watching my 13 year son Kramer’s football game, made it clear to me that if I won the senate race I would never have the opportunity to be part of those events and the many other important aspects of my kids growing up.

Maria and I have spent considerable time over the last few weeks discussing this. Our family is very important to us, but we still strongly believe that our state and country are going in the wrong direction and we have a responsibility and commitment to be part of a solution to the many serious issues that we face.

In an effort to be true to my principles, I am here today to inform you that I will no longer be a candidate for the United States Senate, but will continue our campaign as a candidate for Governor for the Great State of Minnesota.

In the last three months, we have traveled from corner to corner of this Great State. We have met thousands and thousands of Minnesotans.

And we learned a lot from them and about them.

We learned that we are not alone in our core principle—that we are all better off when we work together.

And the more we talked to people, the more our goals of fixing social security, reforming our health care system, finding a way out of the frustrating and resource-draining war in Iraq;
and stopping the fiscal irresponsibility in Washington—became a passion.

But beyond those important issues, we also learned that much more is on the minds of Minnesotans. Minnesotans are growing tired of affable but empty and ambitious politicians.

We consistently heard from many families that they are frustrated and believe Minnesota is moving in the wrong direction:

Property taxes are on the rise;
Every government fee imaginable has been increased;
Poverty is increasing and personal income growth is flat;
Thousands of Minnesotans have lost their health care coverage;
Class sizes are increasing;
Schools and teachers are struggling to teach a well-rounded curriculum;
Direct taxpayer subsidies to businesses are growing;
The middle class is shrinking; and,
Minnesotans all over the state are stuck in highway gridlock.

Like me, many Minnesotans believe there is a better way. We are ready for change, for new ideas, for a fresh approach that puts people first.

Our goal when deciding to enter public service was to focus on solutions that would address problems for the long-term. What I now realize is that I am best suited to achieve these goals as the Governor of Minnesota.

As the state’s top executive, I would be in a better position to provide the leadership it takes to change the direction of our state by:

· Balancing our budget without band-aid approaches and accounting gimmicks that put our children, struggling families and seniors at risk;

· Reforming our government to make it more efficient, responsible, and responsive to its customers, the citizens and voters of Minnesota;

· Enacting a long-term comprehensive state-wide transportation funding plan that isn’t built solely with borrowed money and paid back over decades by our children and grandchildren;

· Working to solve the health care crisis and providing for the health care needs of families in a more cost effective and fair manner; and

· Building a future of opportunity for Minnesota’s children by investing in their education, including their early childhood and higher education.

Indeed, I am committed to act on these ideas. As a business executive, I believe in accountability and responsibility. Not just accountability for our schools but accountability from our current governor who puts his ambition for higher office and his pledges to his elite group of rich supporters above the interests of the people of our State.

I know how to put ideas into action, and I have the skills and experience to bring people together to create solutions that will have measurable results.

I am not a politician. I am a leader and I believe I can lead this state with more principle and less politics.

I was so heartened to read a recent quote from our former Republican US Senator Dave Durenberger about the extreme right wing of Governor Pawlenty and President Bush’s party when he said, “they talk about freedom and values, but they really don’t believe in representative government.”

I believe in representative government. But I believe in representing and working with all people regardless of whether they are Democrats, Independents or Republicans.

And so our campaign goes on.

It is a campaign that I am proud of. It is very satisfying to me that political observers have said that our campaign progressed at a faster pace and made a greater impact in a short time than any in recent history.

Our polling is proof of that. People have responded to our message and especially like our approach. We are a campaign of ideas, principle, and great energy.

Be assured that we will take that energy and bring it to the race for governor.

We will be the campaign of hope and innovation.

And I will be a governor who respects the legislature, respects the people, and leads them toward resolution for the good of all Minnesotans.

Whether it is in life or politics, my mother’s advice to a young Kelly Doran going out in the world, still rings true:
Be committed; Find solutions;And create results.
Thank you.

Kelly Doran running for Governor

"Inside Minnesota Politics" will have audio coverage of the announcement and reaction from the other candidates later today (Wednesday). Read about it here.

Multi-Podcast of First DFL U.S. Senate Candidates Forum

More similarities than differences among Bell, Klobuchar & Wetterling
Doran unable to attend candidates forum because of personal schedule conflict

The first forum with (almost) all the DFL candidates for U.S. Senate suggests issues are NOT going to be the defining difference between the candidates. Each candidate answered questions from the audience on issues basically the same way. The differences between the three were mostly nuanced, although there were a few bobbles.

For a summary of the forum highlights and analysis please click here to listen to our regular Inside Minnesota Politics podcast. If you want more detailed coverage, we've made that easy for you. Go to the "Click To Listen" menu below and you can hear the entire forum. You can also pick what you want to hear based on issue or candidate. Please let us know what you think of this "multi-podcast" format.

Highlights of what was said:
On how to pay for hurricane Katrina - they all said the tax cuts for the wealthiest americans should be repealed to pay for the reconstruction.

On Iraq - they all agreed the troops need to come home. Ford Bell said Iraq will never achieve stabilization with U.S. troops there. Amy Klobuchar said the Bush administration needs to at least put forth a plan for bringing the troops home. Patty Wetterling said the troops should be brought home now because "we are the occupiers".

All three supported universal health care, but not to the same extent. Bell and Wetterling answered "yes" that they were for universal health care, but Klobuchar seemed a little more cautious -- proposing that universal health care be extended to children first and then the government should focus on reducing health care costs by negotiating with the drug companies for lower prices.

All three supported more education funding, but with some differences. While Wetterling and Klobuchar seemed to favor federal standards, Bell indicated he was against federal education mandates -- funded or unfunded. Bell said "every state is different". He said what the federal government should do instead of setting standards, is provide more money to schools so they can keep good teachers.

All three said they were against school vouchers, against lowering speed limits, but in favor of finding ways to increase the gas mileage on cars and trucks.

There were minor stumbles. Wetterling at first didn't seem to know what NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was. Bell said he "hasn't thought about" what Senate committees he would want to serve on.

But on the most important question of the afternoon "why are you the best candidate to beat the Republican" (presumable Mark Kennedy) only Wetterling addressed it head on. While Klobuchar and Bell talked about their resumes, Wetterling pointed to numbers. She leads Kennedy in a poll her campaign conducted. She lost to Kennedy last year in the traditionally conservative 6th district, but got 46% of the vote -- more than John Kerrey did in 2004 or Paul Wellstone did in 1998.

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Doran dropping out?

This just in from the Kelly Doran campaign:

* * * * * MEDIA ADVISORY * * * * *

EVENT TOMORROW: Kelly Doran to Make Announcement Regarding Future of His Campaign for Minnesota

St. Paul – U.S. Senate Candidate Kelly Doran will make an announcement regarding the future of his campaign for Minnesota at the State Capitol tomorrow afternoon.

Who: Kelly Doran

What: News conference regarding the future of Kelly Doran’s campaign to put principle ahead of politics.

When: 1:00 p.m. TOMORROW (Wednesday, September 21, 2005)

Where: Room 125, State Capito

As you might expect with any "big" announcement, Doran's Campaign Communications Director Tonya Tennessen tells Inside Minnesota Politics she can't say what Doran will say. But the suddenness of this annoucement after Doran's no-show at Sunday's candidates forum suggests this may be an announcement that he's getting out of the race.

Post-Katrina Political Forecast

Running against the President
DFL U.S. Senate Candidates take aim at Bush instead of each other

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Next election, the man who may be facing an up or down confidence vote is not even on the ballot. Find out which DFL candidates for U.S. Senate are already using mounting disapproval of the President to fuel their own campaigns.

Has Hurricane Katrina changed the political landscape as dramatically as it changed the New Orleans landscape? Listen to Peter's analysis.

Also, we open the mailbag and respond to listener questions.

After a short hiatus, we're back on a regular podcast schedule. Thanks for being so patient!

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Predicting An Upset In Minneapolis

Green Party Mayoral candidate:
"I have the votes".
Farheen Hakeem expects to win Sept. 13th primary .

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Farheen Hakeem doesn't have the funding or the political experience of her opponents Mayor R.T. Rybak and Peter McLaughlin. But she has confidence, a different message and most importantly she says she has the votes to advance to the general election.

Farheen shook up the race last week when she upstaged McLaughlin and Rybak at a debate...scolding them for repeatedly slamming each other over who will put more police officers on the street. Listen as she tells Peter why more police officers are not the solution to a rising crime rate.

Her website www.hakeemformayor.org lists the remaining debates before the September 13th primary.

If you're interested in this podcast, you'll also want to listen to our earlier interview with Peter McLaughlin.

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Comments or questions please call our hotline 206-33-TALKS or email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com.

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