MARSHALL - Rep. Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, said he's "not putting a lot of stock into" a recently released Rasmussen poll that shows 50 percent of those surveyed would like Norm Coleman to be the Republican nominee for governor.
The Democrat voters who responded evenly favor Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak and Mark Dayton.
Seifert won the straw poll in this fall's Republican convention and is considered a frontrunner for the nomination. Coleman has not entered the race and has said he'd make a decision next year.
"I still consider myself to be the frontrunner at this point," Seifert said.
"Frankly, it's just a name recognition poll," Seifert said of the poll. The poll took a survey of 330 respondents who are likely to vote Republican. While half favored Coleman, 11 percent said they'd like Seifert to be the nominee.
Seifert said he's confident in his campaign and the response so far. "My message is resonating with people and I feel like we are in a terrific place," Seifert said.
He said he can't take a poll of 330 respondents too seriously. "If you look at 330 and if you look at 87 counties, that's three people per county in Minnesota, " Seifert said.
There has been speculation Coleman would enter the race.
"I really don't know he hasn't indicated what he's leaning toward," Seifert said of Coleman.
Twenty-six percent of the respondents who were likely to vote Republican said they were unsure of who they'd like to receive the nomination.
Seifert, Coleman, Laura Brod, who has dropped out of the race, and Tom Emmer were the choices for respondents.
Brian Sullivan, a Republican candidate in 2001, has also been mentioned but Seifert said Sullivan ended speculation last week when he said he was not interested in the governor's race.
Matt Entenza, a Democratic candidate for governor received support from six percent of the respondents who were most likely to vote Democrat. Entenza has been in the Marshall area several times since his campaign started.
Respondents gave an even split to Dayton and Rybak.
Respondents could choose between Entenza, Dayton, Ryback and Margaret Anderson Kelliher.
On the DFL side, 30 percent of the DFLers polled back Dayton, 30 percent back Rybak. Not Sure comes in third with 20 percent support.