3 GOP Governor Candidates Tight In Convention Vote
ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson has staked out an early lead as Republicans vote to endorse a candidate for Minnesota governor.
After two ballots, he had a nine-point advantage over state Sen. Dave Thompson and former state Rep. Marty Seifert. Those two were practically tied. But all three were far from the 60 percent required for endorsement.
Republicans won't know their nominee until August because two other contenders bypassed the convention for the primary. They are businessman Scott Honour and former House Speaker Kurt Zellers.
The party's goal is to unseat first-term Gov. Mark Dayton. He was endorsed by Democrats for another four years at a state convention in Duluth on Saturday.
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