This week’s precinct caucuses claimed their first victim, former state Sen. Steve Kelley of Hopkins.

Kelley dropped out of the 11-person DFL governor’s race today, saying he will support the eventual Democratic candidate.

He finished in a straw poll with about 4 percent of the vote, only ahead of two darkhorse candidates and Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner’s 2 percent.

"Even with your support, and the amazingly hard work of a dedicated and talented campaign team, I have not been as successful as we had hoped when the campaign began," Kelley wrote to supporters. "As a result, I have decided to withdraw from the race for governor."