Mark Dayton
Encyclopedia
Mark Brandt Dayton is an American
politician, the 40th and current Governor
of the state of Minnesota
. Dayton previously served as United States Senator from Minnesota
from 2001 to 2007 in the 107th
, 108th
, and 109th Congresses
. A member of the Minnesota DFL Party
, Dayton was Minnesota State Auditor
from 1991 to 1995.
Dayton was the DFL nominee in the November 2010 gubernatorial election
. He defeated the Republican Party of Minnesota
nominee Tom Emmer
and Independence Party of Minnesota
nominee Tom Horner
in the general election, and took office on January 3, 2011.
, to Gwendolen May Brandt and Bruce Bliss Dayton. He is a great-grandson of businessman George Dayton
. Dayton grew up in Long Lake, Minnesota
. He attended Long Lake Elementary School (now closed) and The Blake School in Hopkins, from which he graduated in 1965.
In 1969, he graduated cum laude from Yale University
, where he played goalie for the varsity hockey team. He also joined Delta Kappa Epsilon
fraternity, whose membership at the time included George W. Bush
. Dayton worked as a teacher for two years in New York City
, and then as chief financial officer of a social service agency in Boston
, Massachusetts. Dayton served as a legislative assistant to Senator Walter Mondale
. He ran for the United States Senate
in 1982, losing to Republican incumbent David Durenberger
.
He was elected Minnesota State Auditor
in 1990 and served from 1991 to 1995. Dayton sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1998, but was defeated by Skip Humphrey
. He was elected to the United States Senate
in 2000
, defeating Republican
incumbent Rod Grams
. Dayton's first wife, Alida Rockefeller Messinger
, to whom he was married from 1978 to 1986, is the sister of U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller
. Dayton and his second wife, Janice Haarstick, divorced in 1999.
Dayton has two sons from his first marriage. He is a recovering alcoholic and has been treated for mild depression. Dayton revealed this information on his own initiative, saying he felt "people have the right to know."
Dayton, an heir to the Dayton's Department Store
fortune, financed his 2000 Senate campaign with $12 million of his own money.
While in the Senate, Dayton generally voted with his fellow Democrats. He opposed tax cuts and the invasion of Iraq, and supported increased Medicare prescription-drug coverage for seniors and use of ethanol and biodiesel fuels. He served on four Senate committees: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Armed Services; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Rules and Administration. With Sen. Joe Lieberman
and Rep. Barney Frank
, Dayton introduced legislation to the Governmental Affairs Committee to extend to domestic partners of federal employees all “benefits available and obligations imposed upon a spouse of an employee.”
On February 9, 2005, he announced that he would not run for re-election, stating, "Everything I've worked for, and everything I believe in, depends upon this Senate seat remaining in the Democratic caucus in 2007. I do not believe that I am the best candidate to lead the DFL Party to victory next year." He also cited his dislike of fundraising for political campaigns. Dayton was succeeded in the Senate by Amy Klobuchar
, another DFL
er.
On September 22, 2005, the 44th anniversary of the day President John F. Kennedy
signed the Peace Corps
into law, Dayton became the first U.S. senator to introduce legislation creating a cabinet-level Department of Peace
. At the same time, similar legislation was introduced in the House by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
.
In April 2006, Dayton was rated one of America's "Five Worst Senators" by Time magazine, which also labeled him "The Blunderer" for such "erratic behavior" as his temporary closure of his office in 2004 because of an unspecified terrorist threat, his complaints about "limited power in a chamber where authority derives from seniority", and his comments in February 2005 that the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester
was "worth a hell of a lot more than the whole state of South Dakota
", a remark for which he later apologized.
In September 2006, Dayton requested a review of the Rogers, Minnesota
tornado to determine whether the National Weather Service
had acted properly and the deaths were unavoidable.
News reports of a Dayton question-and-answer session quote the senator as giving himself a "F" grade for his time in the Senate. Largely based on his Washington behavior, the New Republic dubbed Dayton's subsequent run for state-level elected office, "Eeyore For Governor."
and opposes federal restrictions on funding for elective abortion, supports LGBT
rights and same-sex marriage, favors federal social services such as Social Security
and universal health care
, and is critical of the Iraq War.
Dayton supports health-care coverage for all Americans, with increased state and federal spending on health care. He is in favor of a progressive tax
to decrease state and federal deficits. To help create new jobs, he proposed a state stimulus package as part of his gubernatorial platform. He supports increased funding for K-12 schools, with increased teachers' salaries and decreased class size.
In July 2000, Dayton voted to expand Medicare prescription-drug coverage. He favors keeping Social Security intact, and opposes privatization of Social Security. He received a 90% rating by the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), indicating a pro-senior record.
Dayton voted against a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage
in June 2006, and supported civil marriage equality in his gubernatorial platform.
Dayton has stated support for "green" energy and a state pollution reduction agency. He received a 79% rating from the League of Conservation Voters
(LCV), indicating pro-environment values.
In October 2002, Dayton voted no on the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq. He followed up three years later by introducing Senate Bill 1756 to create a cabinet-level Department of Peace and Nonviolence a week after Dennis Kucinich
introduced a similar bill in the House. The bill never emerged from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Dayton received 100% ratings from Americans for Democratic Action
(a liberal group), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP), National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL)., and the AFL-CIO
. He scored a 9% conservative
rating from the conservative group SBE Council.
, claiming that Dayton had discriminated against him because of a perceived disability. Dayton argued that he was immunized from the suit by the "Speech or Debate Clause" of the United States Constitution
. (The clause protects lawmakers from having legislative work questioned by courts.) Dayton claimed that Hanson's duties were directly related to Dayton's legislative functions, and that the decision to fire him could thus not be challenged. The District Court denied the motion. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States
, where oral arguments were heard on April 24, 2007. At issue in the case was whether a U.S. Senator can be sued for wrongful termination or if such legal actions are barred by the Constitution's "speech or debate" clause, which protects lawmakers from having legislative work questioned by courts. The Supreme Court ruled 8 to 0 that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal and dismissed the case, declining to grant certiorari
. Dayton reached a settlement with Hanson in 2009, shortly after Dayton became a candidate for governor.
. He faced a field of DFL Party challengers in the August 2010 primary election. He chose to bypass the state caucuses and convention in favor of the primary election, closer to the general election, stating that the primary election is a more democratic method of choosing a candidate. He has been known to dislike fundraising for his campaigns, and mostly relied on personal funds for the governor's race. On May 24, 2010, he announced state senator Yvonne Prettner Solon
of Duluth as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
In July 2010, while campaigning for governor, Senator Dayton was asked by a military veteran whether Dayton would support tax cuts for veterans. Dayton said that veterans wouldn't want to hear it, but no, the state couldn't afford it.
Republicans criticized Dayton for not being more supportive of people who have fought for the United States. Dayton responded to their criticism with a statement that said, “with the state facing a $6 billion deficit, I could not support an additional tax cut (beyond the $750 tax credit veterans with 20 years military service or with a disability received in 2009).”
On August 10, 2010, Dayton defeated DFL-endorsed Margaret Anderson Kelliher
in a narrowly won primary (41.33% for Dayton, 39.75% for Kelliher) and was later endorsed by the Minnesota DFL Central Committee to earn his party's nomination for governor.
In the general election on November 2, 2010, Dayton led his Republican opponent Tom Emmer
at the close of balloting by just under 9,000 votes. The margin of victory was small enough to trigger an automatic recount
under state law. Analysts generally thought it was unlikely that Dayton's lead would be overturned. During the hand recount of ballots, Emmer failed to find enough questionable ballots to overturn Dayton's lead. Emmer conceded the election on December 8, 2010.
Independent candidate Tom Horner
received 11.9% of the vote. It has been suggested that Horner cost the Republican party the Governor's office, splitting the Republican gubernatorial vote in a year they took control of the Legislature and allowing the Democrat Dayton to win.
served as Master of Ceremony at the inauguration. Dayton succeeded Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty
. He is the first DFLer to serve as governor of Minnesota in 20 years; Rudy Perpich
, who was the state's last DFL governor before Dayton, left office in January 1991. On January 5, 2011, Governor Dayton signed two Executive Orders allowing the Minnesota Departments of Commerce and Health to apply for federal health-care grants, and provide $1.2 billion dollars in federal funds toward an Early Option for a statewide Medicaid Opt-In program. These Executive Orders reversed the previous administration's ban on federal funding for the state's health-care system. In March 2011 Governor Dayton signed a law increasing penalties on those who injure or kill police dogs. On July 1, 2011, the Minnesota government went into a shutdown as a result of an impasse during budget negotiations between Dayton and the Republican leadership in the legislature. On July 21, 2011, Dayton and the legislature reached an agreement, ending the 20-day shutdown.
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, the 40th and current Governor
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
of the state of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Dayton previously served as United States Senator from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
from 2001 to 2007 in the 107th
107th United States Congress
The One Hundred Seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 2001 to January 3, 2003, during the final...
, 108th
108th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eighth United States Congress was the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2005, during the third and fourth years of George W. Bush's...
, and 109th Congresses
109th United States Congress
The One Hundred Ninth United States Congress was the legislative branch of the United States, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 2005 to January 3, 2007, during the fifth and sixth years of George W. Bush's presidency. House members...
. A member of the Minnesota DFL Party
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
, Dayton was Minnesota State Auditor
Minnesota State Auditor
The Minnesota State Auditor is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. State of Minnesota. The State Auditor is charged with overseeing more than $20 billion spent annually by local governments in Minnesota...
from 1991 to 1995.
Dayton was the DFL nominee in the November 2010 gubernatorial election
Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota for a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer , former Senator...
. He defeated the Republican Party of Minnesota
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
nominee Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer
Thomas Earl "Tom" Emmer, Jr. was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011 and the Republican nominee for governor in the 2010 election. He represented District 19B, which includes portions of Wright and Hennepin Counties and the cities of Otsego, Albertville, St....
and Independence Party of Minnesota
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
nominee Tom Horner
Tom Horner
Tom Horner is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. He was a candidate in the 2010 election for Governor of Minnesota....
in the general election, and took office on January 3, 2011.
Personal background
Dayton was born in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, to Gwendolen May Brandt and Bruce Bliss Dayton. He is a great-grandson of businessman George Dayton
George Dayton
George Draper Dayton was an American businessman and philanthropist.-Life and career:Dayton came to the U.S. state of Minnesota from New York in 1883. His family was one of average means, and he had hoped to become a minister, but was lured by the urge to be in the business world...
. Dayton grew up in Long Lake, Minnesota
Long Lake, Minnesota
Long Lake is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,768 at the 2010 census.- History :The first settlers arrived in Long Lake in early spring, 1855...
. He attended Long Lake Elementary School (now closed) and The Blake School in Hopkins, from which he graduated in 1965.
In 1969, he graduated cum laude from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he played goalie for the varsity hockey team. He also joined Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies...
fraternity, whose membership at the time included George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Dayton worked as a teacher for two years in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and then as chief financial officer of a social service agency in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts. Dayton served as a legislative assistant to Senator Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
. He ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1982, losing to Republican incumbent David Durenberger
David Durenberger
David Ferdinand Durenberger is an American politician and a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from Minnesota.- Early life :...
.
He was elected Minnesota State Auditor
Minnesota State Auditor
The Minnesota State Auditor is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. State of Minnesota. The State Auditor is charged with overseeing more than $20 billion spent annually by local governments in Minnesota...
in 1990 and served from 1991 to 1995. Dayton sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1998, but was defeated by Skip Humphrey
Skip Humphrey
Hubert Horatio "Skip" Humphrey III is a former Minnesota politician who served as attorney general of the state from 1983 to 1999. Prior to that, he was a state senator from 1973 to 1983...
. He was elected to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 2000
United States Senate elections, 2000
In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred (they coincided with the election of George W....
, defeating Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
incumbent Rod Grams
Rod Grams
Rodney Dwight "Rod" Grams served the state of Minnesota in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.- Early life :...
. Dayton's first wife, Alida Rockefeller Messinger
Alida Rockefeller Messinger
Alida Rockefeller Messinger is the fourth child of John D. Rockefeller 3rd and his wife Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller, and a fourth generation member of the Rockefeller family. She is a sister of Democratic West Virginia Senator John D. Rockefeller IV. According to an account in the New York...
, to whom he was married from 1978 to 1986, is the sister of U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller
Jay Rockefeller
John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV is the senior United States Senator from West Virginia. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as Governor of West Virginia, a position he held from 1977 to 1985...
. Dayton and his second wife, Janice Haarstick, divorced in 1999.
Dayton has two sons from his first marriage. He is a recovering alcoholic and has been treated for mild depression. Dayton revealed this information on his own initiative, saying he felt "people have the right to know."
U.S. Senate
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
fortune, financed his 2000 Senate campaign with $12 million of his own money.
While in the Senate, Dayton generally voted with his fellow Democrats. He opposed tax cuts and the invasion of Iraq, and supported increased Medicare prescription-drug coverage for seniors and use of ethanol and biodiesel fuels. He served on four Senate committees: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Armed Services; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Rules and Administration. With Sen. Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
and Rep. Barney Frank
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
, Dayton introduced legislation to the Governmental Affairs Committee to extend to domestic partners of federal employees all “benefits available and obligations imposed upon a spouse of an employee.”
On February 9, 2005, he announced that he would not run for re-election, stating, "Everything I've worked for, and everything I believe in, depends upon this Senate seat remaining in the Democratic caucus in 2007. I do not believe that I am the best candidate to lead the DFL Party to victory next year." He also cited his dislike of fundraising for political campaigns. Dayton was succeeded in the Senate by Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar
Amy Jean Klobuchar is the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, an affiliate of the Democratic Party...
, another DFL
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
er.
On September 22, 2005, the 44th anniversary of the day President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
signed the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
into law, Dayton became the first U.S. senator to introduce legislation creating a cabinet-level Department of Peace
United States Department of Peace
The Department of Peace is a proposed cabinet-level department of the executive branch of the U.S. government.-The history of legislation to create a Department of Peace:...
. At the same time, similar legislation was introduced in the House by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
.
In April 2006, Dayton was rated one of America's "Five Worst Senators" by Time magazine, which also labeled him "The Blunderer" for such "erratic behavior" as his temporary closure of his office in 2004 because of an unspecified terrorist threat, his complaints about "limited power in a chamber where authority derives from seniority", and his comments in February 2005 that the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
was "worth a hell of a lot more than the whole state of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
", a remark for which he later apologized.
In September 2006, Dayton requested a review of the Rogers, Minnesota
Rogers, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,588 people, 1,195 households, and 982 families residing in the city. The population density was 715.1 people per square mile . There were 1,245 housing units at an average density of 248.1 per square mile...
tornado to determine whether the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
had acted properly and the deaths were unavoidable.
News reports of a Dayton question-and-answer session quote the senator as giving himself a "F" grade for his time in the Senate. Largely based on his Washington behavior, the New Republic dubbed Dayton's subsequent run for state-level elected office, "Eeyore For Governor."
Political positions
As a member of the Democratic Party, Dayton's political positions have generally been in line with modern liberalism in the United States. He is pro-choicePro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
and opposes federal restrictions on funding for elective abortion, supports LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights and same-sex marriage, favors federal social services such as Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
and universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
, and is critical of the Iraq War.
Dayton supports health-care coverage for all Americans, with increased state and federal spending on health care. He is in favor of a progressive tax
Progressive tax
A progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable base amount increases. "Progressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from low to high, where the average tax rate is less than the marginal tax rate...
to decrease state and federal deficits. To help create new jobs, he proposed a state stimulus package as part of his gubernatorial platform. He supports increased funding for K-12 schools, with increased teachers' salaries and decreased class size.
In July 2000, Dayton voted to expand Medicare prescription-drug coverage. He favors keeping Social Security intact, and opposes privatization of Social Security. He received a 90% rating by the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), indicating a pro-senior record.
Dayton voted against a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
in June 2006, and supported civil marriage equality in his gubernatorial platform.
Dayton has stated support for "green" energy and a state pollution reduction agency. He received a 79% rating from the League of Conservation Voters
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
(LCV), indicating pro-environment values.
In October 2002, Dayton voted no on the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq. He followed up three years later by introducing Senate Bill 1756 to create a cabinet-level Department of Peace and Nonviolence a week after Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
introduced a similar bill in the House. The bill never emerged from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Dayton received 100% ratings from Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action
Americans for Democratic Action is an American political organization advocating progressive policies. ADA works for social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and supporting progressive candidates.-History:...
(a liberal group), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP), National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL)., and the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
. He scored a 9% conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
rating from the conservative group SBE Council.
Dayton v. Hanson
In the 2003 lawsuit Office of Senator Mark Dayton v. Brad Hanson, at issue was the question of wrongful termination. The circumstances of the case were as follows: Brad Hanson worked as State Office Manager for Dayton. Hanson took medical leave for a heart problem and Senator Dayton fired him shortly thereafter. Hanson sued under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995Congressional Accountability Act of 1995
The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 , one of the first pieces of legislation passed by the 104th United States Congress, applied several civil rights, labor, and workplace safety and health laws to the U.S...
, claiming that Dayton had discriminated against him because of a perceived disability. Dayton argued that he was immunized from the suit by the "Speech or Debate Clause" of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. (The clause protects lawmakers from having legislative work questioned by courts.) Dayton claimed that Hanson's duties were directly related to Dayton's legislative functions, and that the decision to fire him could thus not be challenged. The District Court denied the motion. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, where oral arguments were heard on April 24, 2007. At issue in the case was whether a U.S. Senator can be sued for wrongful termination or if such legal actions are barred by the Constitution's "speech or debate" clause, which protects lawmakers from having legislative work questioned by courts. The Supreme Court ruled 8 to 0 that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal and dismissed the case, declining to grant certiorari
Certiorari
Certiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
. Dayton reached a settlement with Hanson in 2009, shortly after Dayton became a candidate for governor.
2010 gubernatorial campaign
On January 16, 2009, Dayton announced his candidacy for governor of MinnesotaGovernor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
. He faced a field of DFL Party challengers in the August 2010 primary election. He chose to bypass the state caucuses and convention in favor of the primary election, closer to the general election, stating that the primary election is a more democratic method of choosing a candidate. He has been known to dislike fundraising for his campaigns, and mostly relied on personal funds for the governor's race. On May 24, 2010, he announced state senator Yvonne Prettner Solon
Yvonne Prettner Solon
Yvonne Prettner Solon is the 47th and current Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. She is the sixth consecutive woman to serve in that capacity and is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.-Education:...
of Duluth as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
In July 2010, while campaigning for governor, Senator Dayton was asked by a military veteran whether Dayton would support tax cuts for veterans. Dayton said that veterans wouldn't want to hear it, but no, the state couldn't afford it.
Republicans criticized Dayton for not being more supportive of people who have fought for the United States. Dayton responded to their criticism with a statement that said, “with the state facing a $6 billion deficit, I could not support an additional tax cut (beyond the $750 tax credit veterans with 20 years military service or with a disability received in 2009).”
On August 10, 2010, Dayton defeated DFL-endorsed Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Margaret Anderson Kelliher is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A Democrat, she represented District 60A, which includes portions of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area...
in a narrowly won primary (41.33% for Dayton, 39.75% for Kelliher) and was later endorsed by the Minnesota DFL Central Committee to earn his party's nomination for governor.
In the general election on November 2, 2010, Dayton led his Republican opponent Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer
Thomas Earl "Tom" Emmer, Jr. was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011 and the Republican nominee for governor in the 2010 election. He represented District 19B, which includes portions of Wright and Hennepin Counties and the cities of Otsego, Albertville, St....
at the close of balloting by just under 9,000 votes. The margin of victory was small enough to trigger an automatic recount
Election recount
An election recount is essentially a repeat tabulation of votes that is used to determine the correctness of an initial count. Recounts will often take place in the event that the initial vote tally during an election is extremely close....
under state law. Analysts generally thought it was unlikely that Dayton's lead would be overturned. During the hand recount of ballots, Emmer failed to find enough questionable ballots to overturn Dayton's lead. Emmer conceded the election on December 8, 2010.
Independent candidate Tom Horner
Tom Horner
Tom Horner is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. He was a candidate in the 2010 election for Governor of Minnesota....
received 11.9% of the vote. It has been suggested that Horner cost the Republican party the Governor's office, splitting the Republican gubernatorial vote in a year they took control of the Legislature and allowing the Democrat Dayton to win.
Governor of Minnesota
Dayton took the oath of office to become governor of Minnesota on January 3, 2011. Former Vice President and Senator Walter MondaleWalter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
served as Master of Ceremony at the inauguration. Dayton succeeded Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
. He is the first DFLer to serve as governor of Minnesota in 20 years; Rudy Perpich
Rudy Perpich
Rudolph George "Rudy" Perpich, Sr. was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34th and 36th Governor of Minnesota from December 29, 1976 to January 4, 1979, and from January 3, 1983, to January 7, 1991...
, who was the state's last DFL governor before Dayton, left office in January 1991. On January 5, 2011, Governor Dayton signed two Executive Orders allowing the Minnesota Departments of Commerce and Health to apply for federal health-care grants, and provide $1.2 billion dollars in federal funds toward an Early Option for a statewide Medicaid Opt-In program. These Executive Orders reversed the previous administration's ban on federal funding for the state's health-care system. In March 2011 Governor Dayton signed a law increasing penalties on those who injure or kill police dogs. On July 1, 2011, the Minnesota government went into a shutdown as a result of an impasse during budget negotiations between Dayton and the Republican leadership in the legislature. On July 21, 2011, Dayton and the legislature reached an agreement, ending the 20-day shutdown.
Electoral history
- 2010 gubernatorial election, DFL PrimaryMinnesota gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota for a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer , former Senator...
- Mark Dayton (DFL), 41%
- Margaret Anderson KelliherMargaret Anderson KelliherMargaret Anderson Kelliher is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A Democrat, she represented District 60A, which includes portions of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area...
(DFL), 40% - Matt Entenza (DFL), 18%
- Peter Idusoge (DFL), 1%
- 2000 Race for U.S. SenateUnited States Senate election in Minnesota, 2000The 2000 United States Senate election in Minnesota was held on November 7, 2000 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Minnesota. The race pitted incumbent Republican Senator Rod Grams against Minnesota State Auditor Mark Dayton. Dayton won with 48.83% of the vote against Grams’...
- Mark Dayton (DFL), 49%
- Rod GramsRod GramsRodney Dwight "Rod" Grams served the state of Minnesota in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.- Early life :...
(R) (incumbent), 43% - Jim Gibson (I), 6%
- 2000 Race for U.S. Senate – Democratic primary
- Mark Dayton (DFL), 41%
- Mike CiresiMike CiresiMichael "Mike" V. Ciresi is a prominent trial attorney and was a Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate for the United States Senate from Minnesota. He dropped out on March 10, 2008. Ciresi gained his public reputation by litigating several high-profile mass tort cases...
(DFL), 22% - Jerry Janezich (DFL), 21%
- Rebecca Yanisch (DFL), 15%
- Others, 1%
- 1998 Race for Governor – Democratic primary
- Skip HumphreySkip HumphreyHubert Horatio "Skip" Humphrey III is a former Minnesota politician who served as attorney general of the state from 1983 to 1999. Prior to that, he was a state senator from 1973 to 1983...
(DFL), 37% - Mike FreemanMichael O. FreemanMichael O. "Mike" Freeman is an attorney and politician from the state of Minnesota. He is currently the county attorney for Hennepin County, the most populous county in the state, of which the county seat is Minneapolis. He is the son of Orville Freeman, who was a former Minnesota governor and...
(DFL), 19% - Doug Johnson (DFL), 19%
- Mark Dayton (DFL), 18%
- Ted MondaleTed MondaleTheodore A. "Ted" Mondale is a politician and entrepreneur. He is the elder son of the former senator, ambassador and Vice President Walter Mondale and Joan Mondale. He is a former Minnesota state senator and is currently the CEO of Nazca Solutions, Inc...
(DFL), 7%
- Skip Humphrey
- 1990 Race for State Auditor
- Mark Dayton (DFL), 58%
- Bob Heinrich (R), 42%
- 1982 Race for U.S. Senate
- David DurenbergerDavid DurenbergerDavid Ferdinand Durenberger is an American politician and a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from Minnesota.- Early life :...
(R) (incumbent), 53% - Mark Dayton (DFL), 47%
- David Durenberger
- 1982 Race for U.S. Senate — Democratic Primary
- Mark Dayton (DFL), 69%
- Eugene McCarthyEugene McCarthyEugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time member of the United States Congress from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1971.In the 1968 presidential election, McCarthy was the first...
(DFL), 24%
External links
- Minnesota Office of Governor Mark Dayton official state site
- Mark Dayton for a Better Minnesota official campaign site
- Mark Dayton Papers are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society
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