Kelley Campaign Press Release

[jbnr51]

Hi all,

Call me biased. I've received a press release from the Kelley Campaign, and in my capacity as a local blogger (http://mncr.blogspot.com) and former campaign employee, have been asked to post it in this space and several others today. Without further adieu, for the perusal of the DU faithful:

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DFL candidate for governor Steve Kelley ready for the
challenge, calls for “decisive victory”

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. (Jan. 24, 2006)—Senator and candidate
for governor Steve Kelley today responded strongly to
Attorney General Mike Hatch’s comments in the Star
Tribune. “Attorney General Hatch today challenged the
rest of the DFL candidates to beat him ‘decisively’ for
the DFL endorsement. I accept that challenge,” Senator
Kelley said. “My campaign has been organizing throughout
the state and we are poised to win in June.

“DFLers understand that we have to win in November and
that’s why my campaign has been receiving so much
support,” he said. Kelley pointed to fundraising success
in 2005. “We were able to raise over $250K in 2005
because people throughout the state understand what it
takes to win. Frankly, they’re starting to realize that my
campaign is working the hardest in this race. We will pull
off a win by doing the hard work it takes to organize
throughout the state and raise the money necessary to
compete with the Republican machine.”

Senator Kelley is focused on winning in November. He
declared: “It’s time to stop dividing the party—I am
abiding by the DFL endorsement because Democrats need to
be united to win. I know that DFL delegates want to win in
November. Those delegates are smart—they will choose the
candidate who can win. I disagree with Mike Hatch that
the winner at the DFL convention will win because of some
political purity test. The DFL has changed since Hatch
last ran for governor. Thousands of new people have gotten
involved in recent years: moms and dads who care about
health care; business owners who are concerned about early
childhood education; workers who care about renewable
energy. These diverse people can’t be boxed in by Hatch’s
old-hat way of thinking.”

Kelley continued, “We can win the DFL endorsement and the
general election in November. We are running a campaign
that brings people from all walks of life together—exactly
what being a successful governor is all about.

“If I win the DFL endorsement, it will be because we have
the strongest campaign. It will be because I have drawn
the clearest contrast with Tim Pawlenty. It will be
because I am the only candidate with a clear, positive
vision to return Minnesota to being the national leader in
education, health care, transportation and renewable
energy. That is what DFLers, like many Minnesotans, want
to see in a candidate. And that is what they want in a
governor.”
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