Posted: 11/8/06
Pawlenty wins reelection
by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
Governor Tim Pawlenty eked out victory on Election Day, narrowly defeating DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch to win another term as Minnesotaís 39th governor.
Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson finished distant third.
Pawlenty, speaking shortly before 3 a.m. to Republicans gathered in Bloomington, spoke of the need for pulling a divided country together.
ìAnd I think we need to do our part by having that start here and start tonight,î said Pawlenty, who praised Hatch and Hutchinson for running good campaigns.
Pawlenty, 45, after trailing Hatch for most of Tuesday evening slowly pulled ahead to achieve a slim lead.
Unofficially, heís one point ahead.
But Hatch did not concede the election, retiring for night.
He and runningmate Judi Dutcher are expected to speak at the Capitol on Wednesday (Nov. 8) morning.
Pawlenty will return for a second term with a DFL controlled Legislature, House Republicans witnessing their narrow one vote majority washed away in a DFL surge that gave them 19 additional House seats.
Beyond this, Pawlenty is now the sole Republican constitutional officer ó Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer and State Auditor Pat Anderson losing their bids for reelection.
ìThere are big challenges ahead of us,î said Pawlenty.
ìBut thereís also very big opportunities,î he said.
A former House majority leader, Pawlenty won election in 2002 in a three-way race, winning 44 percent of the vote.
He initially wanted to run for U.S. Senate, but a celebrated phone call from Vice President Dick Cheney throttled back that ambition.
Hobbled or strengthened by a No New tax pledged ó a legacy of a tight Republican endorsement fight ó Pawlenty came to office facing more than a $4 billion state budget deficit.
Pawlenty hales the state budget turnaround from deficit to surplus as a major achievement of his administration.
Buoyed by a strong Republican House majority, Pawlenty and his House colleagues rode roughshod over Senate DFLers in 2003 ó a political thumping sparking a change in Senate DFL leadership with ascension of Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar.
Pawlenty has suggested the thrashing Senate DFLers took that session redoubled their resolve and led to the partisan bloodletting that remains a legacy of Pawlentyís first term.
While Pawlentyís first term saw budget cuts ó thousands removed from state-sponsored health care ó and also witnessed a state government shutdown, it also saw the Northstar Commuter Rail line funded and the passage of Gopher and Twins stadium bills.
It saw passage of the Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) legislation, designed to stimulate job growth in Greater Minnesota.
In the area of social legislation, Pawlentyís first term saw the enactment of new concealed carry law and a 24-hour abortion waiting bill.
It also saw passage of a billion dollar bonding bill, if also saw one delayed.
During the campaign, Pawlenty seemed to reject the idea of ideologically-driven governance.
He spoke of a new mantra.
ìYou canít let the perfect get in the way of the good,î said Pawlenty.
Pawlenty views his presence in the Governorís Office, if ultimately something to be commemorated with a simple portrait and a plaque, as vital.
Performance pay for teacher, for instance, would be jeopardized werenít he in office to watch it, Pawlenty argued during the campaign.
Pawlenty views education as the top priority for his second term.
A former Eagan city council member, Pawlenty and wife Mary Pawlenty, a district court judge, have two daughters.
Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau, 57, who served as Pawlentyís transportation commission during his first term, remains Pawlentyís lieutenant governor.
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