Dayton to make candidacy official a year after filing

Former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton plans to formally announce his candidacy for governor this week.

The DFLer issued a press advisory today about the announcement, which is scheduled for Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., at the State Capitol. Dayton has been campaigning since he filed as a candidate a year ago. He's already picked up two key union endorsements and plans to run in the primary.

His advisory also announced plans for a tour of all 87 Minnesota counties in the next 87 days.

"This tour will allow me to listen to and learn from Minnesotans in every one of our counties, Dayton wrote. "People everywhere are facing very serious hardships. Our state, which used to rank near the top in economic growth, has now fallen near the bottom. We need a new governor to lead this state to it future greatness."

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.