Incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Dayton announced his retirement last year, and this race has been underway since very shortly thereafter. Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy faces Democratic Prosecutor Amy Klobuchar for the open Democratic seat.
Election Projection rates this seat a "Moderate Democratic Hold," while CQ Politics and Cook's Political Report both have it as a toss-up, despite Klobuchar's enduring lead in the polls.
CQ Politics' Matthew Spieler reports on the race:
In an era when stability is the rule in the Senate and members are breaking records for longevity, it is noteworthy that this Minnesota seat will have a freshman member for the third consecutive election.
Instability wasn't always the way for this seat. Moderate Republican David F. Durenberger held the seat from 1978 -- when he easily won a special election to replace Humphrey, who died in office -- to 1995. He was popular during most of that tenure, rebuffing an initial Senate bid by Dayton in 1982 and defeating Hubert "Skip" Humphrey III, the son of the late Minnesota icon, by a wide margin in 1988.But shortly after that last win, Durenberger was politically damaged when the Senate reprimanded him for unethical conduct relating to his personal finances, and he chose not to seek re-election in 1994.
It was not surprising that the Republicans held the open seat in what was an especially strong year for their party. But the Republican who won it was a bit of a surprise: Grams, then a one-term House member, ran as a staunch conservative.
Read the rest of this article at the link above. It's worth the click.
This seat is still in play. Kennedy is a Rightroots-endorsed candidate.
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2006 Senate Race, Commentary, Michigan
