"He was passionate about working for the people of the state -- when issues came up he was there fighting for us. The things he was able to do to help ordinary people with problems is what I'll remember the most."
--Rep. Collin Peterson
D-Minn.
"This is more of a personal loss to me than a political one. He was extremely down to earth. He didn't like to wear suits and very seldom did. He was good with people. Some people objected to him
politically, sometimes very vigorously, because of his very liberal views. But even those people, if they knew him personally, respected him."
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--Sen. Keith Langseth
D-Glyndon
"It's really a great tragedy -- campaigns aren't supposed to end this way. They're supposed to end at the ballot box. We were opponents with very different ideas on issues -- but I respected him because he was a believer, and you have to respect believers."
--Former Sen. Rudy Boschwitz, R-Minn.
"He was my close personal friend and political ally for over 20 years. I will miss him terribly."
--Sen. Mark Dayton D-Minn.
"It's a very sad moment for Minnesota. He is a great person who has stood by us and done very good work. We're very sad."
--Diane Wray Williams, longtime DFL Pary activist and former member of state Legislature from Moorhead
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"Whether or not you agreed or disagreed with his views, you always respected that every one of his decisions came from his heart. When Paul Wellstone would say something, or fight for something, it wasn't something he was doing for a political reason. He believed it, it was in his gut. That's what I think people remember about Paul Wellstone."
--Paul Marquart, former mayor of Dilworth currently running for re-election to the state House
Quotes reported by Dave Olson and Joy Anderson, staff reporters
