With a little less than a year before the 2010 elections, the race for Governor continues to shift as candidates drop out and others consider jumping in. The latest Rasmussen Reports poll showed something surprising: that half of Minnesota Republicans still prefer former Senator Norm Coleman even though he has not decided whether he will run for Governor. State Representative and former House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, Rep. Tom Emmer, and Rep. Laura Brod, who has also not officially joined the race, were the other choices available. Seifert received 11%, Brod received 5% and Emmer garnered just 1% of the vote. A number of the other Republicans running for Governor, including former State Auditor Pat Anderson and State Senator David Hann, were not included in the poll. Approximately 25% responded that they had no clear favorite, a signal that many in the party are still waiting for a more viable candidate to enter the race.

Of the 11 DFL candidates running for Governor, the poll asked about only four: Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza. Both Rybak and Dayton tied at 30%. Kelliher received 8%, and Entenza garnered 5% of the support. Similar to the Republican results, 20% were undecided or supporting other candidates not included in the poll. Potential candidates have until July to register with the Campaign Finance Board and some may be waiting to measure the success or failure of the 2010 legislative session before making a decision.