Carlson predicts potential Horner landslide
Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson says he's certain voters will elect Independence Party candidate Tom Honer as Minnesota's next governor by a wide margin, if they pay attention to the campaign.
Carlson announced his endorsement of Horner today in a series of public events, where he said the IP candidate is offering the best budget proposals for the state. Horner has consistently run third in preference polls. During a news conference on the steps of the State Capitol, Carlson said his role in the coming weeks is to help voters pay attention to Horner.
"I don't want to sit on the sidelines," Carlson said. "I want to be an activist. I've told Tom Horner wherever you want me to go, whenever you want me to go, let me know and I'll do my best to be there, and I mean it."
State GOP officials downplayed the endorsement, calling Carlson a former Republican who governed during what they termed as the "relatively carefree" 1990s.
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DFLer Mark Dayton Dayton said the endorsement is a signal that the Republican Party is divided between Horner and Republican candidate Tom Emmer.
"I'm a Democrat running against a corporate Republican and an extreme Republican so it fits," Dayton said. "Arne was a moderate Republican."
Here's the audio of the Horner event: