| A second matchup between Republican Rep. Pete Stauber and DFLer Jen Schultz, a former state legislator, is a test of the GOP’s recent strength in northeastern Minnesota. It’s hardly on the radar of national parties, but Schultz and her backers think she can close what was a big gap in 2022. Schultz, who left the Legislature after the 2022 session, challenged Stauber for the congressional seat later that year and came up short. He got 57 percent of the vote. She kept a political oar in the water and is opposite him on the ballot again. But to win she’ll have to row against the tide. Dan Kraker checked in on the voter mood in one area of the district. Hear Schultz on Politics Friday today.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are focusing on their closing messages with rallies in Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. In the Atlanta suburbs, Harris rallied with former President Barack Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen. Trump focused on immigration in his speech at a rally in Tempe, Ariz. Later in the evening in Nevada, Trump appeared with former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who recently switched parties after endorsing the former president earlier in the year. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was in North Carolina. Both presidential tickets have been campaigning with some powerhouse celebrities recently. Aside from Springsteen, country singer and Georgia native Jason Aldean introduced Trump at a rally in Duluth, Ga., Wednesday evening. Rapper and Detroit native Eminem appeared at a rally in Michigan on Tuesday evening to introduce former President Barack Obama. James Taylor performed onstage with Walz in North Carolina and Beyonce is due to appear with Harris Friday night in Houston during a rally centered on reproductive care access.
Cable TV ads have been running in Minnesota legislative races for months in targeted races, but they’re starting to edge onto network TV stations, too. The Minnesota House DFL began airing ads promoting state Rep. Jeff Brand, a St. Peter lawmaker. The spending across the market is at least $150,000, according to available data, but could be higher before the election is all done. The House DFL had a significant fundraising advantage this year so they have more room to spend on TV. Mailbox ads, digital ads and door knocks have been more traditional fare for key legislative races. Groups on both sides of the partisan divide have also been up with ads on cable TV, which is cheaper. A reminder that Republicans need a net gain of four seats to flip the House. Even so, Twin Cities television viewers might have seen more ads this year for a race that no Minnesota voter will weigh in on — the hotly contested Wisconsin Assembly race for a Hudson-River Falls seat.
Sometimes you can get a sense how the parties think races are trending by what’s NOT being spent. Brian has been diving into independent spending in Minnesota’s most competitive U.S. House race, the 2nd Congressional District. In 2022, there was more than $4.6 million spent for or against U.S. Rep. Angie Craig as the Democratic incumbent won a third term. About $8.3 million was spent for or against (most in opposition to) her Republican challenger that year, Tyler Kistner. This year, the totals so far are much lower. Craig has been the beneficiary or target of about $1.1 million in independent spending on ads, text messages and other voter outreach, according to FEC records. Her Republican challenger, Joe Teirab, received about $23,000 in outside spending support in the form of text messages sent ahead of the August primary he won. Craig has a substantial campaign money advantage that has gone into TV ads that have been in regular rotation since August; Teirab is on the air too, but for not as long and not as often. Teirab is also getting some assistance from the National Republican Campaign Committee in the form of hybrid ads where the campaign and party share the cost.
Interested in a closer look at the district maps, recent voting history and 2024 candidates for the Minnesota Legislature? Our colleagues over at APM Research Lab have got you covered. Many House races are very likely to stay either blue or red, based on the margin of victory in the district’s 2022 house race and the district’s leaning in recent presidential elections. Check out the data here.
President Biden is expected to formally apologize for the country’s role in the Indian boarding school system. The speech will take place during a visit to the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. It comes after the Department of the Interior completed a three-year investigation into the boarding school system, which found that at least 18,000 children had been taken from their parents and forced to attend schools that sought to assimilate them. The investigation documented nearly 1,000 deaths and 74 gravesites associated with more than 500 schools. 16 of those boarding schools were in Minnesota. No president has ever formally apologized for the forced removal of Native American children. It will be Biden’s first diplomatic visit to a tribal nation as president.
When it comes to voting in Minnesota, there are groups working to make sure Indigenous communities have the information they need to vote. APM Reports’ Allison Herrera runs down those initiatives and what kinds of IDs are acceptable when registering to vote.
Law enforcement is investigating graffiti on equipment on the roof of the Minnesota governor's residence, which is undergoing renovations. St. Paul police and the Minnesota State Patrol aren't releasing many details about the vandalism spotted on the roof of the Summit Avenue mansion that is currently unoccupied. "Walz Failed" painted in big black letters could be seen from above. The agencies say they won't speculate about how the graffiti occurred, what security was in place or where they are at in their investigation. The governor's residence is undergoing a $12.8 million renovation inside and out. Gov. Tim Walz and his family are living miles away at East Cliff during the project that is due to wrap up later this year. When occupied, the residence has around-the-clock security.
This fall marks the first time in more than two decades that St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis’ name hasn’t appeared on the ballot. The city’s longest serving mayor decided not to run for reelection after 19 years in office. Now, two members of the St. Cloud City Council, Jake Anderson and Mike Conway, are vying to replace him. The race is highlighting some of the city’s most pressing challenges, including a housing shortage, a struggle to revive downtown and a perception the city is less safe. Reporter Kirsti Marohn caught up with the candidates. | 