And Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman won’t seek reelection next year.
| | Sept. 1, 2021
Welcome to September.
The Republican field in next year’s gubernatorial race is starting to take shape, as two high profile GOPers made big moves Wednesday.
Republican state Sen. Michelle Benson joined the race at a kickoff outside a manufacturing company in Blaine. She’s vying to be the first woman to win a major party nomination for Minnesota governor. Benson says she’ll make public safety and a less-restrictive COVID-19 response the centerpiece of her campaign for governor. She says she’ll wait to decide if she’ll abide by the GOP convention endorsement in the race or run in a primary no matter what. But she says momentum is on the Republicans’ side.
Benson joins former Senator Scott Jensen, dermatologist Neil Shah, businessman Mike Marti and Lexington Mayor Mike Murphy in the race.
Meanwhile, GOP Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka also signaled today that he’s moving closer to a run. This morning Gazelka, a Republican from East Gull Lake, sent an email about his intentions to his fellow Republicans, including his intention to resign as majority leader of the Senate. In the email, Gazelka thanks his fellow Republicans and offers a list of accomplishments, including tax cuts, thwarting DFL initiatives and building the GOP majority in the Senate. Gazelka says he's preparing for what he calls the next chapter in his political life.
DFL Governor Tim Walz is expected to seek a new term next year.
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| Zebra mussel larvae found in Rainy Lake | | The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources confirmed Wednesday that zebra mussel larvae were found in four of five water samples taken in July from the 360-square-mile lake near International Falls. | |
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| Advocates hope White Earth wild rice case will boost 'rights of nature' | | The White Earth Nation filed suit last month against the state Department of Natural Resources in tribal court, contending a water use permit for the Enbridge Energy Line 3 pipeline puts wild rice at risk. Experts say the case for protecting wild rice in Minnesota could be important for the larger rights of nature movement. | |
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| Officers, paramedics charged in Elijah McClain’s 2019 death | | Colorado’s attorney general says three officers and two paramedics have been indicted on manslaughter and other charges in the death of Elijah McClain. The announcement Wednesday comes two years after the 23-year-old Black man was put in a chokehold and injected with a sedative in suburban Denver. | |
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