by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

Sen. Steve Kelley of Hopkins announced his candidacy for governor on Wednesday (June 1), saying a grassroots constituency working for education will work to make him governor.

Kelley, 52, made one of two announcements on Wednesday at the Capitol, flanked by a school bus and school children holding campaign signs.

ìIím here because I want to unite Minnesotans in a shared vision that hard work, education, solving problems together will increase hope and opportunity for all of us,î said Kelley.

These are the values that have been always shared in Minnesota, Kelley explained.

ìIt does not ring true to our current governor,î said Kelley of Gov. Pawlenty, further saying the governor through his policies punishes hard work.

Specifically, he cited the Pawlentyís proposed cuts to MinnesotaCare, a state healthcare program, removing thousands of enrollees.

ìA Kelley Administration will not punish Minnesotans for working hard,î he said.

Kelley is the first Democrat to formally declare their intentions to run for governor.

He will abide by the DFL State Party endorsement, said Kelley.

Other potential DFL gubernatorial candidates include Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson and Attorney General Mike Hatch.

Elected to the House in 1992 and later the Senate, Kelley chairs the Senate Education Committee.

He served on the DFL State Central Committee during the 1980s. In 2000, he unsuccessfully sought the DFL endorsement for U.S. Senate

Growing up in Minnetonka, Kelley has six brothers and sisters and one of first jobs was cleaning the swimming pool at a motel owned by his parents.

A graduate of Columbia Law School, Kelley, his wife of 30 years Sophia, have lived in Hopkins since 1983.

The coupleís two adult children, Paul and Eleanor, spoke at Wednesdayís announcement.

Although a Democrat coming from the suburbs ó a largely Republican area ó Kelley looks to parent and teacher groups who have been working locally for referendums and additional school funding to boost his candidacy.

ìThereís an energy there weíre going to tap and thatís going to help me win in 2006,î said Kelley.

A good deal of Kelleyís announcement speech focused on education.

He spoke of setting ìpowerful goalsî of having all students graduate from high school and of providing affordable higher education.

He would work to make the University of Minnesota one of the top three research institutions in the United States, said Kelley.

Republican Party of Minnesota Executive Director Bill Walsh said Kelleyís support would not extend much deeper than the stateís 59,000 teachers.

ìSteve Kelley should be running for president of the teacherís union instead of governor because he is bought and paid for by this special interest group,î said Walsh.

Although Kelley stresses education, as a state lawmaker he has also pushed for developing technology in Minnesota.

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