Pawlenty loss shows Minnesota GOP's reluctance to coronate
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — As the last Republican to win statewide in traditionally blue Minnesota, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty hoped to be the party's savior by running for his old job. Voters instead chose a lesser-known local official who didn't carry the stigma of the GOP establishment or of calling President Donald Trump "unhinged."
The defeat had echoes of Pawlenty's short-lived 2012 presidential campaign, when the Midwestern governor and self-styled "Sam's Club Republican" was briefly looked at as a top contender before fading quickly after a dismal showing at the 2011 Iowa straw poll.
After his loss Tuesday to Jeff Johnson, Pawlenty said he's done running for office.