Good morning, and happy Friday. Here’s the Digest.
1. Omar announces reelection campaign. Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar began her pursuit of a second term Thursday, midway through a groundbreaking yet turbulent first term and with a long slate of opponents. Her first run for Congress in 2018 was a five-month sprint that led her past more-established politicians. A convincing win made her the first Somali-born member of Congress and one of the first Muslim women to serve in such a high office. Omar’s bid to remain there presents a different kind of test. She faces some uneasiness in the district’s heavily Democratic voting base and near-constant criticism over her record and personal life from the right. Even beyond her Minneapolis-centered district, Omar figures into other campaigns, either by lending her personal support or being used by political foes to portray Democrats as ideologically extreme. Her face has appeared in TV ads and billboards in other states already. One thing is clear: Omar’s high profile is good for fundraising. She’s already scooped up more than $2.5 million in campaign donations, and through September had more than half of that in reserve. MPR News
2. Bloomberg opens Minnesota office, says his experience is better than Klobuchar’s. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg opened a presidential campaign office Thursday in Minneapolis — the first of eight he plans in Minnesota. "We can't take states like Minnesota for granted,” Bloomberg said in an interview, noting that Donald Trump nearly defeated Hillary Clinton in the state in 2016. “That's why we’re not waiting to organize and invest in Minnesota.” In the heart of Amy Klobuchar's territory, Bloomberg assessed the U.S. senator as a presidential candidate. "People say nothing but good things about her,” Bloomberg said. But he added the country needs a Democrat with an executive background. “Her experience as a legislator is the same experience that Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have,” he said. “It's great if you're in the Senate, but it isn't terribly useful if you've got to manage something.” MPR News
3. Lewis backs Beltrami refugee vote. People in Beltrami County are still divided and angry about a county board vote barring refugees earlier this month. It’s where Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis had a public meeting Thursday evening. The former congressman and talk show host said elected officials made the right call. “Your county took the decision to exercise, here’s a novel idea, are you ready for this? Self-government, and say, we want to pause on refugee resettlement,” Lewis said. “The reaction from a far-away capital decided for me that I have to get up here and have your back. That’s why I’m here. I wanted to make certain that you are not alone.” Most of the 100 or so people in the audience appeared to support Lewis over Democratic incumbent Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in the November election. One man asked whether Muslims could be prevented from running for public office. “I would not be in favor of that. Religious affiliation can never be a test for public office,” Lewis responded. Sherry Kloha was one of a few dozen in the room who came in support of refugees. She said Lewis “purposefully chose a very contentious, very emotional topic to rally the troops.” MPR News
4. Primary data leads to partisan squabble. The chairs of two of Minnesota’s major political parties are in a dispute over whether more restrictions are needed on the use of voter information gathered in Minnesota’s presidential primary election. Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin said Thursday that he wants lawmakers to make changes early in the 2020 session that begins next month to make sure voter lists aren’t widely shared. But Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan says calls by Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon and the DFL Party to rewrite the law are premature. Early voting is already underway for the presidential primary on March 3. Voters have to choose which party they affiliate with to get a ballot. The names of the voters and which party’s ballot they choose will go to the DFL, the Republicans and the state’s newest major parties, Legal Marijuana Now and Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis. Martin said the prospect of the voter information being made public has already had a chilling effect. Carnahan said the DFL concerns are baseless, and the primary voting should move ahead unimpeded. Calls by Democrats to rewrite the law are premature, she said, and it's wrong to suggest the data will be misused. MPR News
5. Minnesota politicians speak up for Chinese student. Members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation and free-speech advocates voiced support Thursday for a University of Minnesota student sentenced to prison in China for tweets he made while studying in the United States. Meanwhile, the university held off on taking a stance on the student’s situation, saying officials are still trying to learn more about it. Thursday evening, the Star Tribune received a note from Luo Daiqing’s university e-mail address saying he had indeed been sentenced to six months in prison for tweets seen as attacking the Chinese government but that he has since been released and staying in his hometown of Wuhan, which, coincidentally, is the subject of a travel ban due to the presence of coronavirus. The news site Axios reported Wednesday that Luo was detained last summer and sentenced in November because of tweeting cartoon images perceived as lampooning Chinese President Xi Jinping. The report cited Chinese court documents alleging that he tweeted more than 40 comments the previous fall “denigrating a national leader’s image and indecent pictures.” Luo’s Twitter account, which was still active Wednesday, has been deactivated. Star Tribune | 