State Rep. Matt Dean on Thursday joined an increasingly crowded and competitive race for governor in 2018, with the longtime state legislator emphasizing his health care policy experience.
A former House majority leader, Dean is the first Republican of significant statewide stature to enter the gubernatorial race, but more are likely to join in.
Dean, an architect by training, is in his seventh term in the House. He was majority leader in 2011-12, and as current chairman of the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee is responsible for shepherding a complex, nearly $14 billion budget through the Legislature.
"Right now Minnesotans are looking for practical solutions, and they are very tired of governing by politics," Dean said in an interview. "When you're not protected by government or a union or a lobbyist, things don't work out so well for you. Middle class Minnesotans see that."
Dean said his priorities would be fixing the health care system, curbing government spending and reducing the regulatory burden on several business sectors: agribusiness, mining, timber and manufacturing.
Dean's wife, Laura Dean, is an obstetrician who is active in state Republican politics; he called her an important asset to his campaign. They have three children and live in the town of Dellwood, on White Bear Lake.
With DFL Gov. Mark Dayton not running again next year, both political parties view the 2018 governor's race as one of the most important statewide elections in years. A GOP victory would likely secure both the Legislature and executive branch for the party for the first time in decades.
Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a DFL-aligned group, attacked Dean. "The last thing we need is a governor whose priorities include taking away health care for over 100,000 Minnesotans while lining the pockets of insurance companies, and with no guarantees of lower health care rates," Joe Davis, the group's executive director, said in a statement.