Quie tells candidate to remove his name
A Republican state Senate candidate has apologized to former Gov. Al Quie after incorrectly listing him among her endorsers.
Norann Dillon of Plymouth, who's challenging incumbent Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, recently sent out a campaign flier to residents of District 43 highlighting several endorsements, including fellow Republican Quie. But the endorsement was news to the former governor, who remembered a different outcome from a meeting with Dillon.
"I said no, I'm not going to endorse you," Quie said. "I don't remember if I told her any reason why or not."
Quie, who made news last week when he endorsed Independence Party candidate Tom Horner in the governor's race, said he was initially upset about Dillon's flier. But he said he thinks a telephone conversation with Dillon this morning resolved the issue.
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"She apologized," Quie said. " She's going to put on her Web today that I did not do that."
Dillon confirmed that she was planning to issue a correction on her campaign Web site. Dillon described the matter as a misunderstanding that came out of her earlier meeting with Quie.
"He said it was alright to use his name," Dillon said. "I've had other candidates tell me the same thing, and in those cases that meant endorsement. Perhaps for Gov. Quie it was not that explicit."
Sen. Bonoff offered a harsher assessment of the misstep.
"I'm not questioning my opponent's motives," Bonoff said. "But none the less, it is a misrepresentation, and that's unacceptable."
UPDATE
Here's what Dillon posted on her campaign Web site:
Earlier this year, Governor Quie, who lives in my district, expressed support for my campaign. I though this statement to be an endorsement. It was a misunderstanding between Governor Quie and myself, and I apologize for using his name on my recent mailings.
Told you I wasn't a politician.