Along with nearly everyone else, when Tim Penny (I) finished a distant third in his bid to become Minnesota's second Independence Party governor (despite running 1st or 2nd in the polls for most of the race), I wrote off that particular operation. It seemed, to me, as if the Minnesota model of third-party politics (a third party built to exploit the center) had failed.
However, the obituary may have been slightly premature. The IP has already assembled a fairly sizable slate of candidates for the state legislature this year, and has managed to keep its lone senator in its fold.
In addition, in a special election being held to fill State Senate district 37, popular mayor of Apple Valley Mary Hamann-Roland declined to run as a Democrat and will face Chris Gerlach (R) a three-term state rep. Hamann-Roland already represents about 2/3 of the district as mayor, and with no DFL candidate in the race stands a good chance to win. For those interested in third-party politics, this is one to watch. The special election happens on July 13.