Election Turmoil

KSTP is reporting that Dean Barkley will enter the race. His entrance will not affect the polls to the degree that Ventura has and would have. Priscilla Lord Faris should not be a major obstacle for Al Franken to overcome. No major candidate has emerged to challenge Al Franken in the primary.

Jesse Ventura's decision not to run is good news for Franken, so long as Ventura's decision does not push Ciresi into the election. In the Survey USA/KSTP poll released yesterday, Al Franken was 13 points behind Sen. Coleman. The poll also shows that Mike Ciresi trails Sen. Coleman by 18 points. This is not surprising because Mike Ciresi has not been in the race since March. If Ciresi enters the race and begins to define himself once again, he will defeat Franken. Candidates must file by 5:00 tonight, stay posted.