In gubernatorial news, Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher released her fundraising numbers last week. Despite not entering the race until August, she has managed to raise over $250,000 in those few months, and has $81,000 cash on hand. She also announced raising $80,000 in the month of December.

Making news in another way, Former State Auditor Pat Anderson announced she is exiting the governor’s race yesterday. Citing an unsettled field of GOP candidates, she’s declared that she will once again run for State Auditor. This departure represents the last female GOP governor candidate, with state Representative Laura Brod leaving last year for health reasons. This means that the entire governor’s race is now down to 2 female candidates, or 10% of the candidates, from a potential high of 25% back in June.

Quote of the day: “Home ownership doesn’t work too well without a woman willing or able to take on a share of the workload — or all of it.”

First, the in the governor’s race, Margaret Anderson Kelliher has announced a new hire.

[Anderson Kelliher's] campaign says it hired Allison Myhre as camp. spokeswoman. Myhre worked for DFL Rep. Collin Peterson.

And in the race for the party nomination, Attorney Susan Gaertner has stated she is no longer abiding by the endorsement, choosing to run in the primary regardless.

In the 6th CD, Tarryl Clark has been endorsed by Emily’s List.

EMILY’s List doesn’t lend its imprimatur to all pro-choice women candidates and the endorsement indicates that they take Clark’s chances seriously.

In the press release announcing the endorsement, EMILY’s List President Ellen Malcolm called Clark (who is also assistant majority leader of the state Senate) “a proven vote getter in what is traditionally rough territory for Democrats,” and asserted that “her candidacy puts this district in play and gives Democrats the best shot at picking up this swing-seat in November.”

But the 6th isn’t the only race with action. Former State Legislator Shelly Madore is challenging Dan Powers for the DFL endorsement in the 2nd district. The winner of that race will go on to face sitting congressman Republican John Kline. According to mnpACT:

Democrat Madore broke a long standing Republican stranglehold of the District 37A legislative seat in 2006. In fact, she broke a lot of barriers for Democrats in the South Metro, finding a way to win in a perceived conservative district. She lost her bid for re-election in 2008, by a narrow margin, to a heavily financed challenger, Tara Mack.

When she was elected in 2006, she quickly became a driving force for transportation issues in the south metro area….something that may run as a strong campaign theme in her 2010 bid.

And Maureen Hackett, one of the candidates running to unseat first term Congressman Erik Paulsen, has made a radio ad buy.

Maureen Hackett, a DFLer running in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, started running a radio ad on Air America. The ad is a basic introductory ad detailing Hackett’s profile.

Hackett’s spokesman said the ad will run 70 times over the next two weeks at the cost of $674.80.

Gubernatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher received her third union endorsement last week, this time from the Greater MN AFSCME Council 65. She then capped off last week by winning the DFL side of the gubernatorial straw poll at the Minnesota Farmer’s Union’s yearly meeting.

MnpACT has an interview with Dr. Maureen Hackett, DFL Candidate in CD 3. Among the standard questions, they delve into the controversy surrounding her previous donations to non-DFL candidates. Hackett addresses the scandal, stating, “I’m a Democrat and have overwhelmingly given to Democrats and Democratic causes, both locally, other state races, and nationally. On some occasions I have given to promote ideas. I have also given money to have access to events.”

Smart Politics takes note of the percentage of female donors contributing to the two women vying for the DFL endorsement in the 6th CD congressional race, with both State Senator Tarryl Clark and former IP Lt. Gov. candidate Maureen Reed receiving almost 50% of their campaign contributions from women.

And, speaking of Smart Politics, a post I have been meaning to link to for weeks now, “When Will Minnesota (or Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota…) Elect a Woman as Governor?” The summary? In Minnesota and/or Wisconsin, 2010 may finally be the year.