Former state Rep. Shelley Madore successfully defied her party's endorsement and defeated Dan Powers in the Second District congressional primary Tuesday, an upset victory that hands her a spot on the ballot against U.S. Rep. John Kline in November.
Madore's win likely came as a surprise to many local DFL leaders, who endorsed Powers in March. After promising to remain out of the race, Madore later changed her mind -- a move that upset some party loyalists.
"The voters tonight stepped up and said, you know what? We want a strong challenger against John Kline and they made a choice tonight," Madore said. She added, "I am prepared. We are ready to go. Our race against John Kline starts tomorrow morning at 9 a.m."
Madore faces a steep challenge against Kline, a Republican who has finished about 15 points ahead of every DFL challenger since he was first elected to Congress in 2002.
Eric Roper • 612-673-1732
