‘After twenty years of bachelorhood, I am now a married man!’: Former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announces marriage via Facebook post

Former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced on Sunday he has married former campaign aide Ana Orke.

"I am delighted to reach out to you in these challenging times with some very happy news: After twenty years of bachelorhood, I am now a married man!" he wrote in a social media post.

In the post, Dayton remarked on the 41-year age gap between him and his wife.

"I know our age difference (I am 73; she is 32) will surprise many of you," he wrote. "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."

Ana Orke — now Ana Dayton — worked on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2008 before working for Dayton during his 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Dayton said the two started dating after they reconnected a couple of years ago.

Dayton, who served as governor from 2011-2019, is the great-grandson of George Dayton, the founder of Dayton’s, the department store chain that later became the Target Corporation.

He has been married twice before — to Alida Rockefeller from 1978-1986 and to Janice Haarstick from 1996-1999.