Students of Gov. Mark Dayton's tenure are well aware of the outsize influence that the previous DFL governor, Rudy Perpich, made on his successor's approach to the job.
Even by those standards, Dayton's past week was unusually steeped in Perpich lore.
Dayton worked for Perpich in the late '70s, first as an aide and then briefly in several Cabinet posts. They had a bitter public falling out in the '90s, after Perpich left office for the second time (in both instances unwillingly). But two decades after the older man's death, Dayton evinces nothing but fondness for Perpich and often consciously models his style as chief executive in his image.
More than one person who has worked for Dayton says he regularly invokes his former boss in the decisionmaking process. "That's the way Perpich did it" is reason enough.
For a couple of days last week, Dayton had the chance to revel in Perpich's accomplishments and public life. On Monday, he spoke at a private dedication ceremony at the Mall of America for a small installation honoring Perpich for his early and avid support of the massive shopping mall project that turned Bloomington into a global tourist destination.
The next morning, Dayton elevated Judge Anne McKeig to the Minnesota Supreme Court. That gave the state high court the second female majority in its history. The first was under Perpich.
Later Tuesday, Dayton headed to Croatia to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of a military-civilian partnership between the Minnesota National Guard and that European nation's military.
Croatia was central to Perpich's life story. His father was a Croatian immigrant, his mother Croatian-American. Growing up in Hibbing, he spoke Croatian before he learned English. After he left office in early 1991, he continued to generate headlines back home by briefly moving to Croatia and even publicly flirting with becoming its foreign minister.
He ultimately declined for fear of risking his U.S. citizenship, Perpich told the Star Tribune at the time.
The colorful, sometimes flamboyant Perpich had a more boisterous public style than Dayton, who is self-effacing and can seem introverted. But for people who knew both, Dayton's knack for blunt assessments of the statehouse landscape can recall Perpich's own taste for a political brawl.
Their relationship publicly soured in 1994. At that time, Dayton was the elected state auditor. The two former allies found themselves in a public feud over the size of Perpich's government pension. In 1995, Perpich died of colon cancer. In interviews until close to the end, he toyed with the idea of running for governor a fifth time.
While in Croatia last week, Dayton told reporters on Friday, he saw that Perpich is still remembered in his family's homeland.
"A lot of Croatian people remembered Governor Perpich, and even had pictures of the governor in their offices," Dayton said. "His legacy continues."
Patrick Condon • 651-925-5049
