Minn.’s Dayton wants rules for campaign ‘trackers’

Published 3:19 pm Monday, August 16, 2010

ST. PAUL — Minnesota’s Democratic nominee for governor is camera shy — at least when those cameras belong to Republicans tracking his every move.

Mark Dayton called a news conference Monday to complain that camcorder-carrying GOP operatives are “harassing me and preventing me from conducting my campaign.” Dayton says two Republicans seeking up-close shots of him obstructed his booth at a weekend outdoors fair.

The former U.S. senator wants both parties to call off trackers who go beyond taping public events. In the alternative, he suggested they wear clothing or badges to identify themselves so voters know exchanges with candidates are being taped by the opposition.

Republican Party spokesman Mark Drake says camera-carrying staffers are a staple of the modern campaign. He accused Dayton of trying “to hide from Minnesotans for the next 90 days.”

A Democratic spokeswoman says the party will consider Dayton’s request.