Klobuchar, Smith receive DFL endorsement at convention

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KMSP) - Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith both received endorsements from the DFL party at the convention held Friday in Rochester, Minnesota. The party is looking to hold on to both U.S. Senate seats in the election this fall.

Sen. Klobuchar, the state’s senior senator, won the DFL endorsement by acclamation, as she was unopposed.

Sen. Smith won the endorsement overwhelmingly with 74.5 percent of the vote for the special election in her seat. She faced three other candidates for the DFL endorsement in the race to finish the term of Sen. Al Franken, who left office in January amid misconduct allegations. It only took delegates one ballot to give Smith the endorsement over former Bush administration ethics counsel Richard Painter.

Painter has said he will challenge Smith in the August primary.

Saturday, the attention turns to the candidates for governor to replace Mark Dayton, who is retiring. Congressman Tim Walz, State Auditor Rebecca Otto and State Representative Erin Murphy are all battling for the DFL endorsement.