Johnson, a Hennepin County commissioner from Plymouth, led a four-man field throughout the night and, with 95 percent of the vote in as this edition went to press, emerged victorious with about 30 percent of the vote. Party endorsement helped propel Johnson past state Rep. Kurt Zellers, who trailed in second with 24 percent. Former state Rep. Marty Seifert came in third and businessman Scott Honour placed last among the major candidates.
A beaming Johnson told supporters on Tuesday night that “Mark Dayton is a fairly popular incumbent and a lot of people are going to say it’s going to be really hard to beat him, but we can do that.” From a victory celebration at Digby’s restaurant in Plymouth, he urged Republicans to unite around a vision that appeals beyond the party base and to raise a lot of money for his campaign.
Low-key by nature, Johnson has sold himself as a solid conservative who would push to lower taxes, cut state spending, grow jobs and advocate for a state “where every child has access to a great education … patients and doctors make their own health care decisions … and there is no longer anger or envy over income differences.”
Dayton, who promptly called Johnson Tuesday night to congratulate him, now must prepare to defend the accomplishments of a busy four years in office as he seeks a second term.
“Minnesota’s in a lot better shape now than it was four years ago,” Dayton said Tuesday, noting the state’s nation-leading employment rate. Dayton voted in St. Paul in the afternoon. He faced only token opposition in the primary, but at 175,000 votes and counting, got more votes than the four leading Republican contenders combined.
The low-spending GOP primary featured candidates who were reluctant to lay into one another and the contest did little to drive turnout. TV ads were scarce, and candidates struggled for funding and attention amid the distractions of a Minnesota summer.
