Mark Dayton, Tom Emmer Tied in Wide-Open Minnesota Governor Race

Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Tom Emmer, who won their parties' primaries earlier this month, are deadlocked at 34 percent each in the Minnesota governor race with Independence Party candidate Tom Horner getting 13 percent, according to a poll of likely voters conducted Aug. 25-29 by Minnesota Public Radio and the Humphrey Institute. Nineteen percent were undecided. The margin of error is 3.6 points.

The poll found that one of the sharpest divides among voters was by income class: 44 percent of those making less than $50,000 a year supported Dayton, who served one term as the state's senator, while 40 percent making more than $50,000 backed Emmer, a state representative.

MPR/Humphrey says, "The general election for governor is wide open for all three candidates. A fifth of likely voters have not made up their minds. In addition, more than half (53 percent) are not yet interested in the race. Finally, voters have not yet formed decisive views about the candidates and their personality traits."

Horner, a Republican commentator and public relations executive, "has not yet capitalized on his GOP roots to lure substantial Republican support," the pollsters said, adding that, in a state known for electing independents like former Gov. Jess Ventura, "there is ample room for him to build support."

Right now, Horner is doing better among Democrats, attracting 15 percent, than Republicans (9 percent).

Horner gets 26 percent of the vote of independents, who make up 13 percent of the polls sample, while Dayton draws 23 percent and Emmer gets 13 percent.

Although Minnesota leans Democratic, the Democrats have not held the governor's seat since Rudy Perpich's term ended in 1991. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a likely candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, decided not to seek re-election.

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