Don’t expect Mardi Gras. In fact, waiting for the results of today’s primary for the Republican nomination for governor — or for the other contested races in today’s primary — could be as quiet an affair as the campaign itself.
Even the party isn’t holding a party. The state GOP will not hold a centralized poll-watching event. Instead, the candidates will host their own election night parties. Republican Party chair Keith Downey and his staff will monitor the returns privately then head out to victory parties as the winners are announced.
In what is probably the most watched race of the primary season, the four-way race for the GOP governor’s nomination between Scott Honour, Marty Seifert, Kurt Zellers, and endorsed candidate Jeff Johnson, started the day with last minute pleas to voters at campaign stops, on Facebook and Twitter, and, in the case of Seifert, via text messages.
Tonight, Honour will station his team in St. Paul, Seifert in Mankato, Zellers in Maple Grove, and Johnson in Plymouth.
The other Republican races to watch? It will be interesting to see how well endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden does against Rep. Jim Abeler, who managed to secure some high-profile endorsements. And in the race to represent Eden Prairie in the state House, a contest between incumbent Rep. Jenifer Loon and conservative activist Sheila Kihne, we’ll see how a lot of money affects a smaller race — and if gay marriage still brings out voters.
For more, check out MinnPost’s roundup of the most contested races of the primary season. And tonight, don’t forget to check out to our campaign dashboard to keep tabs on the results as they come in.
Boring candidates
Equals sleepy campaign.
Te real surprise will be
if the winner offers anything beyond the Republican talking points, which yield nothing.