Gubernatorial showdown on the Range

While I’m (slowly) working on a post about my interview with Tom Bakk, here’s a story from Monday’s Mesabi Daily News about the prospects for a rural governor, specifically an Iron Range governor, in the 2010 election cycle. What’s interesting is how the two potential Range candidates, State Rep. Tom Rukavina and State Sen. Tom Bakk, seem fairly dismissive of each others’ prospects. What follows is an excerpt, the story goes into more detail:

Governor from rural area? Not often

By BILL HANNA
Mesabi Daily News
Monday, June 9, 2008

Range lawmakers Tom Bakk and Tom Rukavina hope that Governor No. 39 will be Rural Governor No. 19.

But the odds are against them.

“It’s become more difficult because of the large population shift from rural areas, especially northern Minnesota, to the Twin Cities and suburbs,” said former state Sen. Doug Johnson of Tower who ran unsuccessfully in the 1998 DFL gubernatorial primary, finishing third in a five-person contest. “So much of the state’s population base is now within driving distance of the Twin Cities.” However, Johnson said it can be done. “Someone would have to redouble efforts and understand obstacles going in and try to rally rural Minnesota and get a share of the Twin Cities vote,” he said.

DFL Sen. Bakk of Cook and Rep. Rukavina of Virginia both have gubernatorial aspirations for 2010. However, they are traveling different campaign roads.

Bakk has already formed the “Bakk-Minnesota’s Next Governor Committee” and filed papers with the state Campaign Finance Board that will allow him to start receiving contributions. The senator, who said he is leaning strongly toward an official run for governor, said he will make a final decision in early 2009.

“I’m going to gauge support for my candidacy. This is the first step,” he said.

Rukavina said last week he is still thinking of running for the office, but won’t make a decision until next year and after the current election season. He won’t be forming an exploratory campaign anytime soon.

“To come out this early you get lost in all the hoopla over the presidential and U.S. Senate elections in November. People are thinking about this year’s election. I told someone Bakk may drop out before anyone announces,” he said with a laugh.