after winning control of the state legislature, the dfl passed a $38 billion budget containing the tax hikes on the wealthy that dayton had wanted in 2011. the shutdown still was a political issue in the 2014 elections, when gubernatorial candidates zellers and marty seifert were among the candidates for statewide office who had been republican legislators during the shutdown. zellers claimed having "balanced the budget without a tax increase" during the shutdown was his signature accomplishment as speaker, but he was criticised by republican rivals and dfl leaders alike for the shutdown and for the means by which the budget was balanced.