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Reality Check: The Importance Of Endorsement In Governor's Race

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Four of the last five Minnesota governors ran for office without the endorsement of the major Republican or Democratic parties.

Including Gov. Mark Dayton.

In 2010, the Democrats partied inside their convention and banned Mark Dayton from going inside.

Dayton's sin?

He ran in a primary against the DFL-endorsed candidate, and won.

Dayton's not alone.

Before him, Republican Arne Carlson won against fellow Republicans -- twice.

Jesse Ventura was elected as an Independent Party candidate.

And Democrat Rudy Perpich campaigned against the DFL "establishment."

History is repeating itself in 2014.

The endorsed Republican candidate Jeff Johnson has three credible challengers, Scott Honour, Marty Seifert and Kurt Zellers.

Minnesota has the number one voter turnout in the country, during presidential election years.

But off-year primaries are a different story.

That 2010 primary that propelled Mark Dayton to the Governor's office?

Only nine percent of Minnesotans showed up to vote.

Here is a source we used for this Reality Check:

Statewide Results for Governor

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