Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher is joining the race for governor in what looks likely to be the most crowded political contest of the 2010 cycle.

Kelliher, a Democrat, announced on a new campaign Web site Thursday that she had filed the paperwork for a campaign. In a message to supporters, she said she had the experience, commitment and coalition-building skills to lead the state out of its economic struggles. A formal campaign announcement will come in “a few weeks,” she said.

Kelliher has one of the highest profiles among a number of Democrats already in the race. The field includes former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and former state House Minority Leader Matt Entenza; state Sens. John Marty and Tom Bakk; state Reps. Paul Thissen and Tom Rukavina; and Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner.