26 September 2006

DFL Secretary of State Candidate Endorses GOP Incumbent Mary Kiffmeyer

MINNEAPOLIS--Dick Franson, who received nearly 30 percent of the votes in
the DFL primary for secretary of state, today announced his endorsement of
incumbent Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, a Republican.

"I like Mary Kiffmeyer and what she has done as Secretary of State," said
Franson. "In the race for secretary of state, she is the best qualified.
She has done a bang-up job and will continue to do so for the next four
years."

"As a retired Army 1st sergeant, military career counselor, and Minneapolis
alderman, I have been a leader and have always selected people who were the
best in their fields," said Franson. "I have a degree in public
administration and have always focused on the people's qualifications. As
such, I have sought to vote for the best qualified candidates for office.
In this race, Mary Kiffmeyer is the best choice, by far."

"In my opinion, Mary's DFL opponent doesn't have the qualifications or
character to serve as secretary of state. That is why I ran against him in
the Primary," said Franson.

"I want all 75,938 of the people who voted for Dick Franson in the Primary
on September 12th to vote for Mary Kiffmeyer in the November 7th General
Election, and I'm going to do everything I can to encourage them to do so,"
said Franson.

In receiving the endorsement, Kiffmeyer said, "Dick Franson has
distinguished himself as a veteran and as a public servant. He's a great
American, and I'm humbled and thrilled to receive his support. His
endorsement really means a lot more than words--I look forward to him
joining me on the campaign trail during the upcoming weeks."