Former Governor Tim Pawlenty is poised to change the landscape of the 2018 race for governor, filing a campaign committee and saying Monday he’ll make a final announcement soon. Republican Representative Nick Zerwas from Elk River says he’s excited about Pawlenty’s expected entry. “I think the differentiator between Governor Pawlenty and the remaining candidates is his ability to fundraise and compete with the massive amount of money that we would expect [Democrat] Tim Walz to bring in from Washington DC,” Zerwas says.
Walz took the top spot in a straw poll at February’s D-F-L precinct caucuses, followed by Rebecca Otto and Erin Murphy. Among Republicans vying for governor at the February caucuses, Jeff Johnson was the clear leader in the straw poll with over 45 percent. Johnson said Monday he doesn’t get too distracted by Pawlenty’s “weekly political maneuvers” and will keep working hard all over Minnesota to earn people’s votes.
More in this interview with Rep. Zerwas: