The Republican challenger for Minnesota governor brings an approach honed as a "distinct minority" in public office. In a state now under one-party control, the perspective of Jeff Johnson -- who won last week's Minnesota GOP primary and goes on to face Democrat Mark Dayton in November -- is important.

Johnson's conservative stance on the Hennepin County Board, he said, has advanced his "skills at figuring out how to actually accomplish something when the vast majority of your colleagues don't agree with you."

The approach often puts Johnson -- on the county board since 2008 -- "on the losing end of 6-to-1 votes," he said.

Whatever happens in November, the state Senate, not up for election until 2016, will remain in DFL control, making bipartisan ability essential for a would-be GOP governor. It will take only seven seats to return the Minnesota House of Representatives to Republican control.

Johnson, a former state representative from Plymouth, brings a "nice guy" approach to what the Pioneer Press' Bill Salisbury suggests might be a "Minnesota nice" gubernatorial race that will focus on the candidates' diverging views, rather than personalities.

Much comes down to demeanor, Johnson said, "so that when you disagree on things, it doesn't become personal and you don't have grudges" that get in the way of working together on the next priority.

In distinguishing himself from the sitting governor, Johnson said he tends "to focus heavily on scaling the scope of government back, and, in most cases, would prefer to have less government interference in people's lives and decision-making.



He emphasizes the rights of individuals "to be free and to have the liberty to make decisions on their own."

There's a libertarian basis to some of his thinking. "I happen to be a social conservative, so a real libertarian would probably disagree with me on some of those issues," he said, "but, yes, I would say that I do lean a bit libertarian when it comes to fiscal issues and questions of the government's role in the market."

How would that manifest itself? "It would suggest that taxes should be lower in general. I'm a believer in low, broad and simple for a tax code," he said. "I also think you will see me taking a very close look at regulations," including licensing and permitting, "and trying to scale those back."

When making decisions about what government should do -- and what it shouldn't -- "the Constitution is always at the top of the list," Johnson said.

The state Constitution, he said, outlines the specifics: a uniform system of K-12 education, transportation and public safety, in addition to providing a safety net for those most vulnerable.

When it comes to things government shouldn't be doing, "I'll give you a great example that drives me crazy on the County Board: We spend a lot of time and money on trying to influence people's behavior and their health."

State grants, he said provide around $30 million a year for health improvement programs that are aimed, for example, at persuading people to exercise and eat more healthfully. "We put out walking maps and things like that, all of which are nice, but I don't personally think that it's something government should be doing and spending people's money on."

Likewise, he doesn't think we should use the state's general fund dollars to fund stadiums for private employers.

Johnson, an attorney who worked for Cargill handling labor and employment law matters, said his top priority is the business climate and jobs.

"I know that our unemployment rate is lower than the national average and we'll be hearing a lot about that in the campaign," he said, but that doesn't get to the real issue: the under-employment rate. Forty-nine percent of Minnesotans, Johnson said, "are in a job that they don't really want to have, but they can't find anything better. And that is not the sign of a strong economy."

Johnson, who according to his website believes that the federal government has no business in our K-12 education decisions, would reject such federal programs as No Child Left Behind and Common Core standards. He also lists himself as pro-life and supportive of traditional marriage between a man and woman, and favors eliminating both MNsure, the state's health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act, and the Metropolitan Council.

As Minnesotans learn more about Jeff Johnson and his views, and the way they contrast with those of Mark Dayton, the "Minnesota nice" campaign ahead also should be one of substance. There's plenty to discuss, and strong competition helps keep the republic healthy.