On 2004's Super Tuesday, March 2, the party held caucuses around the state along with Minnesota's other three parties.
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Also in the 2002 election, Sheila Kiscaden of Rochester was turned down for endorsement for re-election to the Minnesota Senate by the Republican party.
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Paulsen won the election with 48.48% of the vote, to Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nominee Ashwin Madia's 40.85% and Independence Party of Minnesota candidate David Dillon's 10.56%.
The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer (R-Delano), former Senator Mark Dayton (DFL), and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner.
Until 2006, the state's only Independence Party legislator was from Southeast Minnesota, Sheila Kiscaden (IP-Rochester, now DFL-Rochester).
Harens had previously run unsuccessfully for mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota in 1997 as a member of the Reform Party.