Pawlenty: 'We Need Our A-Team On The Field'
EAGAN, Minn. (WCCO) -- Minnesota's former governor is vying for the job again. One day after announcing he will seek the Governor's office in 2018, Tim Pawlenty took questions for about 30 minutes from reporters at a small restaurant in Eagan.
Addressing everything from gun control to global warming, he outlined the pillars of his campaign. Those include driving down the cost of health care, addressing the opiate crisis and closing the achievement gap in state schools.
Even though he called President Trump "unfit" to lead the country in 2016, he claims he voted for him and is interested in seeking the GOP endorsement.
Former Minnesota governor @TimPawlenty is vying for the job again. He's answering questions from the media for the first time since making the official announcement @WCCO #mnleg pic.twitter.com/kwoZsb4ehh
— Mary McGuire (@mcguirereports) April 6, 2018
Speculation over whether or not he would run swirled for months and Pawlenty acknowledged this campaign will not be an easy one in a traditionally blue state like Minnesota. After seeing the other nominees though, he said he felt like he had to throw his hat in the race.
"We need our A-team on the field and we haven't seen that," Pawlenty said.
Pawlenty served two terms as the governor of Minnesota, from January of 2003 to January of 2011.
He also ran for President in 2012, but was adamant he will not run for that office again.
Pawlenty also claimed he doesn't like Washington, and that if he did, he would have run for U.S. Senate.