Live at the Minnesota DFL Convention

DFL Party Chair, Brian Melendez, kicked off the 2006 convention with a call to seize opportunity, to beat Pawlenty and to refrain from name calling.

On Friday night, Amy Klobuchar accepted the endorsement for Senate with 78% of the vote. Ford Bell was absent and is expected to make a statement today as to why not.

Things were a little tougher on Saturday as Mike Hatch, Steve Kelley and Becky Lourey battled for the gubernatorial endorsement. The Hatch campaign had to be asked to remove their marching band from the floor but they left with a bang. Becky Lourey pulled out more support than expected and Steve Kelley gave them both a good fight.

The first ballot gave 39.4% of the votes to Hatch, 31% to Lourey and 29.4% to Kelley. The second ballot results were Hatch - 41.6%, Kelley - 29.3% and Lourey - 29%.

At about 2:45 p.m. the third ballot results were announced. Hatch took 43.3%, Kelley took 29.6% and Lourey was in third place with 26.9%.

Fourth ballot results: Hatch - 44.8%, Kelley - 33.1% and Lourey - 21.8%.

Becky Lourey then dropped, stating that she would be running in the primary in September and Hatch supporters started circulating some fairly nasty "hit lit" against Kelley which re-energized the Kelley campaign to a significant degree.

Fifth ballot results: Hatch - 49.8% and Kelley 46.9%. I should mention that there was still a showing of 3.3% for "No Endorsement" at this point.

There was then a request for another Q&A session with the candidates, mostly since Hatch remained mute on the issue of Lieutenant Governor. With the Hatch supporters running around the floor with their thumbs pointed down, the request was defeated.

The next (sixth!) ballot required 778 votes for a win at 60%. Hatch received 665 votes, or 51.3%. Kelley received 606.5 votes, or 46.8%. No Endorsement was down to just 24 votes or 1.9%.

With the seventh ballot results at Hatch - 55.3% and Kelley - 43.3%, people were wondering how long this would drag out. However, an emotional Kelley dropped out to the disheartened cries (and I do mean cries) of many and Hatch took the endorsement by acclimation.

Steve Kelley was congratulated for running an honorable campaign and walked through the crowd shaking hands. Mike Hatch gave a lengthy acceptance speech and supporters spent the evening at a lively victory party.

Sunday Update: Rebecca Otto received the endorsement for State Auditor and Mark Ritchie received the endorsement for Secretary of State.

Act Blue!