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Real estate developer enters Senate race
May 16, 2005

Kelly Doran, 47, described himself in an interview with The Associated Press as a "centrist Democrat." He said he supports the idea of a balanced budget amendment to force Congress and the White House to be fiscally responsible. (Photo from Robert Muir Co.)

St. Paul, Minn. — (AP) A little known real estate developer announced Monday that he will challenge child-safety advocate Patty Wetterling and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar for the Minnesota DFL's nomination in the 2006 U.S. Senate race.

Kelly Doran, 47, described himself in an interview with The Associated Press as a "centrist Democrat." He said he supports the idea of a balanced budget amendment to force Congress and the White House to be fiscally responsible.

On other issues, Doran said he's opposed to President Bush's tax cuts and privatization plans for Social Security, and said the United States made a mistake in going to war in Iraq.

Doran, who lives in Eden Prairie, is president of the Robert Muir Company, which has developed more than 3 million square feet of shopping centers in the state, according to Doran's biography.

Doran declined to disclose his net worth, except to say it was a "healthy number." He said he planned to fund his race with a combination of his own money and fundraising.

Federal Election Commission records show that Doran and his wife, Maria Doran, have made just under $13,000 worth of campaign contributions over the past year. Maria Doran is the general counsel of the Robert Muir Company.

The couple made a $2,000 contribution to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and a $2,000 contribution to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., during last year's presidential race.

Doran has not held public office before, but argues people are ready for a different kind of candidate.

"I'm not a career politician," Doran said. "Americans are tired of politics as usual."

John Wodele, who was Gov. Jesse Ventura's spokesman, is serving as a consultant to Doran's campaign.

U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy is running for the Senate seat as a Republican. The incumbent senator, Democrat Mark Dayton, is not seeking re-election.