— This story was originally published on Dec. 6 —
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Sunday evening that he has married a woman who is 41 years younger than him.
“After twenty years of bachelorhood, I am now a married man!” Dayton wrote on Facebook.
He tied the knot with 32-year-old Ana Orke, now Ana Dayton, who previously worked for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2008, and then Dayton’s gubernatorial campaign in 2010. After losing touch, the two reconnected in Minneapolis a few years later.
“I know our age difference (I am 73; she is 32) will surprise many of you,” wrote Dayton. “The truth is, the feelings that developed between Ana and me, given our age difference, surprised us too, at first. But as we grew to know each other, we realized that the love binding us is far deeper and more meaningful than the years that separate us.”
Dayton described his wife as “smart, compassionate, tough, funny, and impossible good at Scrabble!”
