Marty, Walz, Hagedorn and more

It is proving to be a busy political day already. DFL gubernatorial candidate John Marty picked a fellow state senator as his running mate. Marty announced today that his pick is Sen. Patricia Torres Ray of Minneapolis. She is the first Latina to be elected to the Minnesota Senate. For more information about here, go the campaign Web site.

The only other gubernatorial candidate to announce a running mate so far has been Republican state Rep. Marty Seifert. He picked Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah. It will be interesting to see how many other candidates opt to make their picks before next month's state conventions.

MinnPost also has a story looking at congressional earmarks. It includes a list of the 25 largest earmark requests. Included on that list are several requests for area projects made by 1st District Rep. Tim Walz. Here is the story.

Also, some liberal bloggers are reporting that 1st District GOP candidate Jim Hagedorn has sent out an e-mail saying that fellow GOP candidate Allen Quist is too close to Bachmann. The Minnesota Independent and Bluestem Prairie. 

During Bachmann's visit on Monday to Rochester, I asked her if she planned to endorse anyone before the 1st District Republican Convention on April 17. She said she is not going to endorse anyone. But while addressing members of the Rochester Area Republican Women, she mentioned Quist's name several times in reference to issues he has raised with the Democrats' health reform bill. She did not mention any other GOP congressional candidates. Quist's wife, Julie Quist, serves as Bachmann's district director.