Hatch makes his run official

10/25/2005

BY BILL SALISBURY
Pioneer Press

He is the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s leading vote-getter and its only elected statewide official.

So when Attorney General Mike Hatch formally announced his long-expected candidacy for governor Monday, he became the immediate front-runner for the DFL nomination.

“Mike has to be considered the 800-pound gorilla in the race,” former state DFL Chairman Mike Erlandson said.

Republicans apparently agree. State GOP Chairman Ron Carey called a news conference immediately after Hatch’s announcement to criticize his candidacy. He’s the only DFL candidate to get that treatment from the opposing party.

Meanwhile, another DFL gubernatorial candidate, wealthy political newcomer Kelly Doran, launched a $500,000 television advertising campaign to introduce himself to voters — and try to catch up with Hatch’s big advantage in name recognition.

State Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, also is running for the party’s endorsement, as is perennial candidate Ole Savior. In addition, state Sen. Becky Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, is getting positioned to run.

Hatch officially opened his third bid for the governorship at the Minnesota Nurses Association’s annual convention at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul. The 18,000-member organization endorsed him even before he spoke.

As in his previous campaigns, Hatch said, he will run on the bread-and-butter issues that affect average Minnesotans: providing high-quality education, health care coverage for all, affordable public colleges and universities, and clean lakes and rivers. And as before, he avoided discussing such hot-button issues as abortion, gay marriage and stadiums.

The two-term attorney general opened his speech with an attack on Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, blaming the incumbent for the eight-day shutdown of state government in July.

“In only one state did the governor voluntarily close the doors and fail his oath to faithfully execute the laws of the state,” he said, neglecting to mention that the DFL-controlled Senate shared responsibility for the shutdown.

Hatch outlined his basic campaign themes in the speech.

“I believe that health is a right, not a privilege,” he said, sparking an ovation from the nurses. “Access to health care will be my number one priority.”

Next he pledged to protect and conserve the state’s lakes and rivers.

“I believe that Minnesota should provide a quality education for our children,” he said, “that professional teachers should not be the whipping posts for politicians, that school districts should not have to hold bake sales so they provide a decent education, and our public university should not exclude qualified Minnesota students simply because of their income.”

After the speech, Hatch dodged reporters’ questions on issues that might have overshadowed his desired message.

He declined to say whether he would increase taxes to pay for his campaign promises, whether he supports a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage or whether he would call a special legislative session to act on proposed baseball and football stadiums.

Hatch ran for governor in the 1990 and 1994 DFL primaries, challenging incumbent Gov. Rudy Perpich in the first race and party-endorsed John Marty in the latter one.

“Mike Hatch has a bizarre, fatal attraction with the governor’s office,” said Carey, the GOP chairman. He accused Hatch of breaking his word not to run for the job a third time.

Given Hatch’s history, the big question among DFL activists is whether he would abide by the party’s endorsement next year or run in the primary without party backing.

Hatch hedged on that question, saying, “I am going to abide by the endorsement process,” but then added he would do so only if there is a “decent-sized” turnout at DFL precinct caucuses in March.

Hatch used to be a party maverick, but he has worked hard to mend fences with the DFL faithful, Erlandson said. “You would be hard-pressed to find a DFL dinner in Greater Minnesota without Mike Hatch at it.”

Veteran DFL campaign strategist Bob Meek said Hatch might be better off without the party’s endorsement, particularly if the convention takes unpopular stands such as supporting gay marriage.

“It might give him more freedom to position himself on the issues he really cares about,” Meek said.

Hatch is more moderate on many issues than the liberals who usually dominate the DFL’s endorsement process. But Minnesota Democrats haven’t elected a governor since 1986, and they might be willing to put up a candidate who isn’t ideologically pure but can win.

“After two decades, suddenly even ideologues can become more pragmatic,” said Minneapolis pollster Bill Morris.

Bill Salisbury can be reached at or 651-228-5538. Age: 56

Quick Biography of Mike Hatch

- Residence: Lives in Burnsville; grew up in Duluth; born in Des Moines, Iowa

- Family: Wife, Patti; three adult daughters

- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth; law degree from the University of Minnesota

- Employment: Practiced law in Minneapolis, 1973-1983 and 1990-1998; state commerce commissioner, 1983-1990; attorney general, 1999-present

- Political experience: 2nd Congressional District DFL chairman, 1978-1980; state DFL chairman, 1980-1983; DFL candidate for governor in 1990 and 1994 primaries