MOORHEAD - Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton brought his gubernatorial campaign to the Red River Valley this morning, declaring he wants to raise taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans in order to improve funding for public education.
Dayton, who's vying for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination, touted his 35 years of public service experience in state and federal government as the reason why he's the best candidate to lead Minnesota.
"I know how to win, but more importantly, I know how to govern," Dayton said before an audience of about a dozen supporters this morning at Moorhead's Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center.
If elected, the St. Paul native said his first priority will be to raise taxes on the wealthiest 10 percent of Minnesotans in order to increase state funding for K-12 public education and lower college tuition costs.
"You can read my lips: Tax the rich," Dayton said, putting a spin on the famous quote from former President George H.W. Bush.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dayton said the wealthiest 10 percent of Minnesotans would include individuals making $143,000 or more annually and married couples who together make $172,000 or more annually.
Dayton's family founded the department store chain of the same name that later became the Target stores of today.
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are owned by Forum Communications Co.
