Waiting for Ciresi

The race among Democrat-Farm Labor candidates to replace retiring Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton is getting crowded. Child-safety activist Patty Wetterling will formally announce her candidacy this weekend. She's been exploring and raising money since February. She joins Hennepin County prosecutor Amy Klobuchar and Ford Bell, a veterinarian whose grandfather was a founder of General Mills (though Mr. Bell says he can't self-finance his campaign).

All of the above are waiting to see if super-wealthy tobacco attorney Mike Ciresi, who ran and lost in 2000, will enter the race as expected. If so, he'd be the instant favorite of the money-hungry national party establishment, though an exception is EMILY's List, the influential donor group, which has already endorsed Ms. Klobuchar, perhaps to discourage Mr. Ciresi from joining the scrum.

The Republican side is noncompetitive. Three-term Congressman Mark Kennedy is the only declared candidate. His last challenger was Ms. Wetterling, whom he beat by eight points. The 2004 campaign was her first and it showed. Her command of the issues was weak, and she was unable to answer several questions at one debate. Her strong name recognition (her son was abducted in 1989) remains an asset, and she would be a tougher candidate the second time around.

Zogby polled several potential matchups against Mr. Kennedy and found Ms. Wetterling and Ms. Klobuchar ahead by a bit. Regardless of which Democrat wins the nomination, look for Mr. Kennedy's support for the Iraq War and President Bush's policies to be the central issues. Minnesota is a battleground state and this race will be closely watched as a barometer for the 2008 election.