2006 Governors Races

Minnesota Democrat Mike Hatch vs. Republican Tim Pawlenty (Incumbent) How to combat methamphetamines could take center stage here, the Washington Post reports. Pawlenty "announced the creation of an Internet meth offender registry," the newspaper writes, "while Hatch promised to add 1,200 cops to the streets to fight the drug." Hatch claims Pawlenty’s budget cuts have hurt police forces. Another issue, one of more national debate, is stem cell research. Hatch wants to fund it; Pawlenty says that’s up to the President and Congress. Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, told Congressional Quarterly that state Republicans are running into "gale force winds" in light of President Bush’s low approval ratings, gas prices and the war in Iraq. "Pawlenty has also been slammed by the debate over whether the state should help fund a new baseball stadium for the Minnesota Twins," Jacobs said, "which Pawlenty supports tacitly but not actively — a position that angers those on both sides of the issue." A July Star Tribune poll showed Pawlenty leading Hatch 43 percent to 41 percent — within the poll’s margin of error. Hatch could be hurt by the Independent candidacy of former State Finance Commissioner Peter Hutchinson. Hutchinson would likely grab anti-Pawlenty votes.