State Sen. Michael Jungbauer, a Republican from East Bethel, formally announced this weekend at a game fair that he is running for governor.

The ECM chain of newspapers reports that "amid the dog yelps and shotgun thuds" of the game fair, Jungbauer told people he was running for governor -- as the story puts it -- "out [of] a sense God was calling him to an endeavor."

The story quotes Jungbauer: “I believe if I’m really called by God to do this, and again it’s not necessarily called by God to be the governor, but to do the campaign, to do it right, I set the goal quite high when I would have to believe it was truly miraculous [to achieve], and I couldn’t say I did it, or they [the campaign] did it.”

The second-term senator, first elected in 2002, lists his occupation in the current legislative directory as a water resources manager.

Said the news story:

Jungbauer found a kind of verification in the blue sky he had for his announcement in Ramsey after a deluge that had vendors sweeping puddles out of their tents let up about 30 minutes before the announcement.

Prayer works, said Jungbauer, gazing up at the cloudless sky.

He said he thinks he's in the top three of the announced Republican candidates for governor and will abide by the party endorsement. He's for energy efficiency and wants state tax reform and has signed a no-new-taxes pledge.

The story has an opinion on the candidacy from DFL State Party Chairman Brian Melendez:

“It’s clear from his comments and his record that Sen. Jungbauer doesn’t have the drive, experience or vision to lead our state through these difficult times,” said Melendez.

“Sen. Jungbauer has consistently associated himself with a conservative circle that does not engage on the issues,” he said, adding the senator had been the subject of multiple ethics investigations.

Jungbauer has had ethics complaints filed against him stemming from the use of the Senate e-mail and improper campaign finance record keeping.

But he contends the average person finds the ethics complaints that have been filed against him more puzzling than disturbing.

Indeed, as governor he would seek to change state ethics law, said Jungbauer.