EXHIBIT 31(b)

      RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATION BY THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

     I, James K. Vizanko, Senior Vice President and Chief  Financial  Officer of
ALLETE, Inc. (ALLETE), certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this  annual report on  Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
     December 31, 2005, of ALLETE;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a material  fact or omit  to state  a material  fact necessary  to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under  which such statements
     were made,  not misleading  with  respect  to the period  covered  by  this
     report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information  included in  this  report,  fairly  present  in  all  material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations  and cash  flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I are  responsible  for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange  Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and  internal control  over
     financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act  Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15
     (f)) for the registrant and have:

     a.  Designed such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or  caused  such
         disclosure   controls   and   procedures  to  be   designed  under  our
         supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating to  the
         registrant,  including its consolidated  subsidiaries, is made known to
         us by others within those entities,  particularly during the  period in
         which this report is being prepared;

     b.  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such
         internal  control  over  financial reporting  to be designed under  our
         supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the  reliability
         of financial reporting and the preparation of financial  statements for
         external  purposes  in  accordance with  generally accepted  accounting
         principles;

     c.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and
         procedures  and  presented in this  report our  conclusions  about  the
         effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the  end
         of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

     d.  Disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in the  registrant's internal
         control over financial reporting that occurred during the  registrant's
         most recent fiscal  quarter (the  registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in
         the case  of an annual  report) that  has  materially  affected,  or is
         reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect, the  registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying  officer and I  have disclosed, based  on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board
     of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

     a.  All significant  deficiencies and material  weaknesses in the design or
         operation  of internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which  are
         reasonably  likely to  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability to
         record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     b.  Any fraud, whether or  not material, that  involves management or other
         employees  who  have a  significant  role in the registrant's  internal
         control over financial reporting.

Date:  February 16, 2006       James K. Vizanko
                               -------------------------------------------------
                               James K. Vizanko
                               Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer