House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher received the endorsement of delegates at the DFL state convention in Duluth last Saturday, but it was the Iron Range’s own Tom Rukavina, DFL-Pike, who stole the hearts of many with an emotional speech that brought the 2,000 assembled delegates, alternates, and others to their feet.

In the end, Rukavina’s full-throated endorsement of Anderson Kelliher gave her the edge to outpace second place finisher and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

Saturday’s endorsement marks the first time a woman has won major party endorsement for governor in Minnesota, but it is no guarantee that Anderson-Kelliher will be the party’s standard-bearer in the fall campaign. Former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton and former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza are both running in the primary, set for Aug. 10, and both challengers bring considerable personal financial resources and name recognition to their efforts.

Anderson Kelliher, however, showed her organizational abilities on Saturday as her supporters kept up the pressure on delegates. She led from the opening ballot, and continued to lead right up until the sixth and final vote, when Rybak finally dropped out of the running.

Rukavina had dropped following the fourth ballot, and threw his support to Anderson Kelliher. Even so, Rukavina had made a stronger showing than even his most ardent supporters had expected. Rukavina estimated at least 70 previously uncommitted delegates had voted for him on the first ballot, a rush of support Rukavina credited to his heartfelt address to delegates.

Iron Range split

The gubernatorial contest did create a notable bit of tension within the Iron Range legislative delegation. Rukavina’s decision to enter the race, several months after fellow Iron Ranger Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, had announced his candidacy, had been a source of friction between the two men during the campaign. Relations were strained further when Bakk declined to endorse Rukavina, instead nominating Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, during the convention.

Bakk acknowledged that he and Rukavina will have some fence-mending to do. “I’m sure there are plenty of people upset with me,” said Bakk. “But I was in that race a year before he jumped in, and that made my path more difficult.”

Bakk said his decision to drop out of the running prior to the convention should have helped Rukavina, since it allowed some of his Iron Range supporters to switch sides. “I gave his campaign a big boost by getting out of the way,” he said.

Bakk said he struggled with the decision to drop from the race, but in the end he said he simply did not see a path to the nomination, for himself, or for Rukavina. “If I’d thought he had a chance, I would have supported him,” said Bakk.

Rukavina declined to comment on the record about the situation, but said he considers political loyalty to be important.

Bakk said he wants to put the rift in the past. “I’m going to have to sit down with Tom and talk this out,” he said.