Minnesota voters will have a sharp contrast when they choose a replacement for Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty in November.
Mark Dayton won the Democratic nomination Tuesday in a bid to rebuild a political career scarred by a frustrating six years in the U.S. Senate. He ran hard left in a state that hasn't had a Democratic governor in two decades.
Now he'll face Republican Tom Emmer, a conservative legislator who coasted to the GOP nomination after Pawlenty didn't seek a third term.
Dayton promises a new top tax bracket to help deal with a massive deficit. Emmer touts spending cuts alone.
Independence Party candidate Tom Horner is a potential complication for both sides. The third party's most famous member was Jesse Ventura, elected governor in 1998 when the IP was known as the Reform Party.
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