270

The LA Times and AP have great stories on the race to 270 electoral college votes. Political junkies will love reading which states are in play for Barack Obama and John McCain. Here's what the L.A. Times says about Minnesota:

"In the Midwest and elsewhere, Obama and McCain face a highly competitive campaign for independents, notably in Minnesota and Wisconsin, states that Kerry won by narrow margins."

Here's what the AP says about Minnesota:

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

The reality: If the election is as close as Republicans and Democrats alike expect, the competition will play out primarily in 14 states.

Of them, five - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania - are in the Great Lakes region and offer a combined 78 votes. Two - Iowa and Missouri - are in Middle America with 18 votes up for grabs. Three with 19 votes - Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico - are in the West. Florida, New Hampshire and Oregon - 38 votes in all - also are on the list.

The AP glance of all the states (keep this handy) also says this about Minnesota:

-Minnesota (10 electoral votes): Kerry won Minnesota by 3 percentage points in 2004. One of McCain's top targets with a Republican governor.