Gaertner said in a letter to supporters that she didn’t want to interfere with Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s bid.
“This is the closest Minnesota has yet to come to electing a female governor,” Gaertner said at a Capitol news conference. “That would be history-making.”
Kelliher said she was surprised by Gaertner’s decision to bow out of the race, calling her a “strong competitor.”
Kelliher, speaker of the House of Representatives, received the DFL’s endorsement for the office Saturday. Gaertner, however, declined to endorse Kelliher outright.
Despite the party’s endorsement of Kelliher, political scientist Dan Hofrenning of St. Olaf College said Gaertner’s exit doesn’t transform the race because she had been fairly low-profile. With three big names left and traditionally low voter turnout in primaries, anyone could claim victory with a relatively small share of the vote.
“There’s a lot of wild cards in the air,” Hofrenning said.
The remaining candidates, in addition to Kelliher, are former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and former state Rep. Matt Entenza. Neither of the men took part in Saturday’s endorsement process.
Both are hoping to secure the party’s nomination in the August primary, which was also Gaertner’s goal prior to her departure.
Gaertner also cited concerns she would be outfunded by the other candidates as a reason for dropping out, according to her letter.
Gaertner, a University of Minnesota graduate who has served as Ramsey County attorney since her election in 1994, is perhaps best known for her prosecution of the RNC 8.
Although her bid ended, Gaertner said in her letter she had no regrets.
“I ran because I believe at this difficult time in Minnesota’s history my leadership and values would have been good for all Minnesotans, including the least among us.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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