Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has selected current Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach as his lieutenant governor running mate for his bid to become Minnesota’s next governor and reclaim the seat for Republicans.
In picking Fischbach, Pawlenty can show a seasoned tactician with decades of experience in the Legislature.
Thursday’s announcement comes a day before the statewide Republican endorsing convention in Duluth — where both Pawlenty and Fischbach will be no-shows, they said.
Pawlenty, who entered the race in April after months of widespread speculation, said he entered the race too late to seek the endorsement from the 2,200 convention delegates — the party faithful who will put the official GOP blessing on a candidate.
The two most prominent candidates seeking the endorsement are Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson and Woodbury Mayor Mary Guiliani Stephens.
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is also hosting its endorsing convention this weekend in Rochester. That event features U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, state Rep. Erin Murphy and State Auditor Rebecca Otto seeking the DFL endorsement.
‘TIMS’ IN PRIMARIES?
By not seeking the endorsement, Pawlenty is setting himself up for a likely Republican primary battle — presumably against the candidate who wins the endorsement. The primary will be held Aug. 14.
Similarly, the other Tim in the mix — Walz — has not pledged to abide by the endorsement, which he is seeking. So if another Democrat is endorsed, Walz has kept the door open that he, too, could be in a primary on the DFL side.
POLITICAL TONGUE-TWISTER
The whole former Gov. Pawlenty/current Lt. Gov. Fischbach is a bit of a political tongue-twister.
A quick refresher might be in order.
Pawlenty, a Republican from South St. Paul, served as governor from 2002 to 2010. He was elected twice and did not seek a third term. Then he went to Washington, D.C., to work on behalf of the financial industry.
In April, Pawlenty announced he was running for governor to succeed the current governor, Democrat Mark Dayton. Dayton succeeded Pawlenty in 2010 and was elected to a second four-year term, but is not seeking a third term.
Fischbach is a Republican who was born in Woodbury and served 22 years as a Republican state senator representing the Paynesville area. She has served as the Senate’s first female president on and off since 2011 — during stretches when Republicans controlled the body.
In January, Fischbach automatically ascended to become Dayton’s lieutenant governor when Dayton appointed his lieutenant governor, Tina Smith, to become U.S. senator when Al Franken resigned amid allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior. Both Franken and Smith are Democrats.
That automatic ascension of Fischbach created awkwardness, not only because she and Dayton are of opposite parties, but also because Republicans clung to a one-vote majority in the Senate. As such, Fischbach refused to take the oath as lieutenant governor, referring to herself only as “acting lieutenant governor.” She also refused to resign her Senate seat, a maneuver that drew a pair of lawsuits from Democrats who alleged that was a violation of the state Constitution.
However, the constitutional kerfuffle ended after the Legislature adjourned and Fischbach took the oath and resigned her Senate seat.
So to recap, Fischbach, a Republican, became lieutenant governor under a Democrat but resisted the position and is now seeking to be elected to that same position under a Republican governor.
And what happened to the lieutenant governor who served with Pawlenty when he was governor? Former Minnesota Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau has endorsed his competitor, Jeff Johnson for the GOP nod.
This report includes information from the Associated Press.