It should also be noted that the RATs had a spoiler candidate in the person of Tammy Fine. She was a RAT (social liberal - fiscal (cough) conservative) that left the RAT party under a cloud of condemnation for criticizing DFL (RAT) policy. She ran independent and garnered a respectable portion of otherwise RAT votes - no 'R' or conservative could have mistaken her for a moderate so her base would've been disenfranchised RAT voters with no place left to go. It would be interesting to see her numbers in relation to religious or ethnic voters.
I think you are referring to Tammy Lee, not Tammy Fine.
Alan Fine was the GOP candidate.