Flanked by his wife and daughter in tears, Republican Tom Emmer stood outside his Delano home with his family and said “Minnesotans made their choice and we respect their decision.” Emmer said he would be happy to help Democrat Mark Dayton any way he can and called his opponent a gentleman. The Republican was not sure if he’d run again and he said a year ago he would have thought the opposite.
Emmer didn’t detail what went wrong in losing the election, but said he did do right by staying positive. “I don’t know that I’d change much” Emmer concluded. He also praised the State Republican Party and wouldn’t say they were more aggressive than him in the recount process. Emmer took the high road and was even playful with the press, inviting us back to his ice rink in the backyard. Five of his seven children were there along with his mother and father, but Tom Sr. wore a baseball cap pulled down and stood off to the side.
