Busy day for candidates

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ST. PAUL -- Today may be the busiest day this year for candidates filing paperwork for office.

In the Minnesota secretary of state's office alone, the day began with DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and her running mate, former Finance Commissioner John Gunyou, turning in their paperwork for governor and lieutenant governor. That was closely followed by Republicans filing for more than half of the Legislature's 201 seats, which was in turn followed by GOP state Rep. Tom Emmer handing in his documents along with running mate Annette Meeks.

State law gives judicial, state and county candidates -- along with some city and school hopefuls -- one more week to file. Statewide candidates file in the secretary of state's office, but other candidates may file with their local county auditors' offices.

Kelliher paused when she finished her filing, which was bumped up half an hour so it would not conflict with the mass GOP legislative filings, and said the legislative session-ending deal that plugged a $3 billion deficit was a good compromise. She said it preserved school funding, allowed health programs to continue and kept other state business running.

Gunyou said that if he were in state office he probably would have agreed to the deal, which he said was the best that could be expected given Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's refusal to compromise.

Kelliher said the 2010 election is important: "This is about closing the Pawlenty chapter."

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