There’s a certain risk that comes with electing public officials that’s impossible to avoid: what happens if politicians don’t do what they said they were going to do while campaigning? After all, it’s easy to say whatever sounds best when you’re running for office. That’s the point of a campaign: to persuade people that your ideas are the best ones possible.

It’s not until after elected officials have taken office that we can evaluate how well they keep their promises.

And with the case of Governor Mark Dayton, it’s wonderfully clear that when he says he’s going to do something, he will actually do it.

To check whether the governor stuck to his word, MinnPost recently looked at the goals Gov. Dayton had for Minnesota prior to being elected in 2010, and analyzed how well he has brought those goals to fruition.

The results? Well, in short…

[T]he governor did exactly what he said he’d do.

That sounds too good to be true, but there’s proof to back it up. Here are the highlights of Gov. Dayton’s fulfilled promises to Minnesota during the past four years:

• Tax fairness: Gov. Dayton promised to raise taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans. He did.
• Education: All-day kindergarten and more funding for K-12 was a pipe dream in 2010. Now it’s reality.
• Job creation: Everyone–including Gov. Dayton himself–wanted a “jobs governor” in 2010 to spur employment growth. The unemployment rate has been almost cut in half under Gov. Dayton’s administration.
• Health care: Gov. Dayton wanted as many Minnesotans to receive affordable health care as possible while campaigning to be governor. Nearly 200,000 people in Minnesota have become insured since 2010.
• Same-sex marriage: When running in 2010, Gov. Dayton made it clear that he was against the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in the state. Two years into his administration, same-sex marriage became legal in Minnesota.

While there is much to be celebrated concerning Gov. Dayton and the DFL’s accomplishments, there’s also more work to be done to continue Minnesota on the path toward greatness. It’s reassuring to know that we have a governor who has proven that he can follow through on his promises.