A new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll finds President Trump trailing all of the leading Democratic presidential candidates.
Joe Biden leads Trump 50% to 38%, Elizabeth Warren is ahead 51% to 40% and Bernie Sanders leads 49% to 41%. Home state favorite Amy Klobuchar crushes Trump 55% to 38%.
Fox 9: “Minnesota is the only state that has not accepted its share of the federal money under the Help America Vote Act, which amounts to $6.6 million. State Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R) is blocking it, and said during a wide-ranging news conference Thursday that she was concerned about how the funding would be used.”
“Now, Minnesota’s four-year project to recode its statewide voter database is in jeopardy because the state has three years and 11 months before it would have to return the money to the feds.”
“Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election revealed that Minnesota was a battleground state of interest to Russian operatives.”
“President Trump could be eyeing Minnesota as a way to expand his Midwest footprint in 2020, if the activities of his designated super PAC in the midterm elections are any indication,” the Washington Examiner reports.
“Minnesota was among the limited 2018 battlegrounds to see a major investment by America First Action, which gathered data that might inform Trump’s strategy and boost his re-election bid over the next two years. America First Action tailored its activities to states and subregions considered crucial to Trump’s next campaign: Michigan; Minnesota; North Carolina; Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.”
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A new Star Tribune/MPR News Minnesota Poll finds Rep. Keith Ellison (D) trails Doug Wardlow (R) in the race for Attorney General by seven percentage points, 43% to 36%.
“The switch follows a turbulent period for the Ellison campaign, as he has navigated the political fallout of his former girlfriend’s allegation that he abused her in 2016, a claim he denies.”
A new Mason-Dixon poll in Minnesota finds President Trump’s approval rating has dropped from 45% to 39%, while 56% disapprove of his handling of the job.
“In other results, Democrats are safely ahead of Republicans in nearly every major statewide race. Rep. Tim Walz (D) leads Jeff Johnson (R) by 9 points in the governor’s race, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) is up big over Jim Newberger (R), and Sen. Tina Smith (D) leads state Sen. Karin Housley (R) by 7 points.”
“The only real bright spot for Republicans? Doug Wardlow (R) is within striking distance of Rep. Keith Ellison (D) in the attorney general contest, though still trailing by 5 percentage points, with 18 percent undecided. That’s after Ellison was accused by an ex-girlfriend of domestic abuse, which he denies.”
Minnesota’s DFL Party moved to have Donald Trump removed from the November ballot, arguing the state GOP failed to abide by candidate filing laws, Minnesota Public Radio reports.
“State Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court to strike Trump and running mate Mike Pence. The petition contends Trump’s candidate filing was flawed because the Republican Party failed to properly choose the people who would cast Electoral College votes for their candidate if he wins Minnesota.”
Donald Trump is not yet on the Minnesota presidential ballot, according to KARE-TV.
As Gateway Pundit notes, the Minnesota Republican party has until August 29 to file but it’s not clear they will have time to file the necessary paperwork.
Update from the Minneapolis Star Tribune: “After hours of ringing alarm bells in national GOP circles over whether Donald Trump is in danger of not getting on Minnesota’s presidential ballot, the Trump campaign says everything is in working order and voters will have a chance to cast their ballot for the brash tycoon in November.”
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Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.