A mild-mannered attorney and veteran politician who promised he has the general election appeal to beat Gov. Mark Dayton in November, Johnson emerged victorious in a volatile contest that saw many delegates leave before it was over.
Nevertheless, a buoyant Johnson told the remaining delegates, “We are going to leave this convention ready to campaign so hard that Mark Dayton is not going to know what hit him until about the middle of December.” Johnson said that with his experience in county government, he would be able to attract votes even in the DFL strongholds of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Johnson, a former House representative, previously lost a 2006 statewide race for attorney general.
One of the candidates Johnson beat out, former House Rep. Marty Seifert, is already planning for the Aug. 12 primary. Businessman Scott Honour and former House Speaker Kurt Zellers bypassed the endorsement altogether and also are working on their primary campaigns.
