Voters opted by a whisker for Mr. Dayton, who had promised to balance the books in part by raising taxes on the richest 10% of Minnesotans.

But at the same election, voters opted by a whisker for Mr Dayton, who had promised to balance the books in part by raising taxes on the richest 10% of Minnesotans.

The unemployment rate rose by a whisker, from 4.4% in October to 4.5%, but this was the result of an increase in the number of people looking for work, not a lack of jobs.