MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Democrat Mark Dayton has won a second term as Minnesota governor in the capstone race of his long political career.

He defeated Republican challenger Jeff Johnson, a Hennepin County commissioner who portrayed Dayton as having been around too long and bungling several issues while in office.

It is the first time Dayton has won re-election to a political office.

He walked away from the U.S. Senate and state auditor's post after single terms.

The governor campaigned on Minnesota's improving economy, healthy state budget and new investments in education.

He says he'll focus a second term on building consensus around a transportation funding plan and making child-care tax credits available to more families.

At 67, Dayton is Minnesota's oldest governor and has said this was his final campaign.

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