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Democrat Erin Murphy Running for Governor

Minnesota Capitol building
Minnesota Capitol building / Wikimedia Commons
November 17, 2016

Erin Murphy, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party who represents St. Paul in the state legislature, filed the necessary paperwork on Thursday morning to launch a campaign for Minnesota governor.

Murphy, a woman, made the announcement on her Twitter account.

 

 

"Now more than ever we need to stand up, to keep fighting, to make sure we create the state we’re capable of being and a democracy that is for everyone. It’s time to get to work," Murphy told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.

Murphy, a registered nurse, is basing her campaign based on her understanding the needs of everyday people in Minnesota.

"As the daughter of a union auto worker, I understand the importance of a reliable job that pays a living wage," Murphy said. "As a nurse, I saw first-hand the necessity for affordable health care coverage. As the mother of twin girls, I know that we need an education system that prepares every child to be successful and ready to participate in the economy of our future. And as a legislator, I’ve learned that these things must work together in order to ensure every person has a shot at the good life here in Minnesota."

Murphy will not be the only candidate on the Democratic side running to replace Gov. Mark Dayton (D., Minn.), according to the Pioneer Press report.

She will not have the field to herself for very long. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton will not run again, making the governor’s office a tempting target for ambitious politicians from both parties. In 2009 and 2010, the last time the Minnesota governor’s race was without an incumbent, nearly two dozen Republicans and Democrats battled over the office.

Murphy comes to the campaign steeped in politics. A former executive director of the Minnesota nurses union, she was first elected to the House in 2006. By 2009 she was picked as an assistant minority leader and became the majority leader after Democrats took control of the House in 2012. After the DFL lost the House in 2014 she served as a deputy minority leader. [...]

She said she would abide by the DFL endorsement in next year’s battle, meaning that if the party does not endorse her at its statewide convention she would not run in a primary.