The Star Tribune, Minnesota’s leading news source, has only endorsed one Republican for governor during the state’s last eight gubernatorial elections. Apart from its 1994 endorsement of Republican Arne Carlson, The Star Tribune has otherwise supported six Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party candidates, and one Independence Party candidate since 1990. In order,…
Read MoreTag: Jeff Johnson
Minnesota Sheriff Debunks Tim Walz’s Sanctuary State Arguments
A group of prominent Minnesota Republicans visited a local ICE detention center to vocalize their support for the country’s federal immigration laws, but the real star of the show was the local sheriff in attendance. Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson, along with Republican attorney general candidate Doug Wardlow and Congressional…
Read MoreTim Walz Flip-Flops On $15 Minimum Wage Proposal
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Walz spent Wednesday clarifying his stance on a $15 minimum wage hike, but in doing so seemed to only complicate his position on the issue. Speaking alongside a cohort of Minnesota mayors, Walz called his previous support of a statewide $15 minimum wage “aspirational” in response…
Read MorePOLL: Housley, Johnson Within Three Points, Dems Less Favorable Than Republicans
A new poll shows that Republican Karin Housley is within three points of incumbent Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) who is running in her first election since replacing Al Franken. According to Change Research, 43 percent of likely voters support Housley in the special election while 46 percent said they support…
Read MoreMinnesota Ranked As the Least Tax-Friendly State In the Country
Minnesota was recently ranked as the least tax-friendly state in the country, beating out both California and New York for the top spot on the list. According to Kiplinger, a D.C.-based financial outlet, Minnesota’s “income tax rate of 5.35 percent” earned it the title of “least tax-friendly” state on the…
Read MoreRubio to Campaign for Johnson in Final Push Before Election
With Election Day closing in, Republican Jeff Johnson is enlisting Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to hit the campaign trail for him in his bid for Minnesota governor. Rubio enjoys relative popularity among Minnesota voters and won the state Republican caucus in his 2016 presidential campaign, making him a safe choice…
Read MoreWalz and Johnson Lay Out ‘Opposite’ Visions for State in Greater Minnesota Debate
With election day on the horizon, Minnesota’s gubernatorial candidates came out swinging during a Tuesday night “Greater Minnesota Debate” in Willmar to discuss the issues affecting rural Minnesotans, such as agricultural regulations and refugee resettlement. Republican Jeff Johnson started the debate by criticizing opponent Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN-01) for voting…
Read MoreErik Paulsen’s Wife Threatened at Their Minnesota Home
Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN-03) recently revealed that his wife was threatened at their Minnesota home last week, saying the political animosity towards him and his family has been taken to the “next level.” While the Minnesota congressman is used to receiving threats, he said his office has “had to refer…
Read MoreWalz Doubles Down on Declaring Minnesota a ‘Sanctuary State’
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Walz is doubling down on his plan to transform Minnesota into a “sanctuary state,” saying his proposal would actually make the state “safer.” In his first ad of the campaign, Republican candidate Jeff Johnson attacked Walz for his progressive stance on immigration, which would make Minnesota…
Read MoreObama Snubs Ellison and Omar In Latest Round of Endorsements
President Barack Obama endorsed a slate of candidates for Minnesota’s statewide elections Monday, but some high-profile Democrats were conspicuously absent from his list. Obama’s list of endorsements spanned 22 states and more than 100 candidates running for state and federal office, including gubernatorial candidates, their running mates, attorney generals, and…
Read MoreDFL Intern Lied to Track Minnesota Republican Candidate in Her Own Home
A Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party intern tracked down Republican lieutenant governor candidate Donna Bergstrom at her home and lied to her spouse in order to gain entry. “I’m disturbed to report that this weekend my amazing running-mate Donna Bergstrom returned to her home after a day on the campaign trail to…
Read MoreHennepin County Board Candidates Campaign on Platform of Abolishing ICE
Candidates for Hennepin County Board gathered for an open forum Sunday where they showcased their radical views on immigration and efforts to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. According to the U.S. Census, Hennepin County is currently the largest of Minnesota’s 87 counties, and encompasses significant portions of…
Read MoreWalz and Johnson Release First Ads of the Campaign
Minnesota gubernatorial candidates Tim Walz and Jeff Johnson released their first ads of the campaign Tuesday after recovering from an expensive primary. Minnesota’s ad wars have been unusually toxic during this election cycle, particularly in Minnesota’s Third and Eighth Congressional Districts where the Republican-backed Congressional Leadership Fund is targeting Democratic…
Read MorePolls Continue to Show Minnesotans Agree With Jeff Johnson on Immigration Policy
Minnesota gubernatorial candidates Tim Walz and Jeff Johnson have very different visions on immigration policy for the state, but poll after poll shows that Minnesotans tend to agree with the Republican on the issue. Walz, on the one hand, supports sanctuary-state policies and wants to limit local authorities from cooperating…
Read MoreNew Poll Shows Minnesotans Agree With Jeff Johnson on Issues of Immigration, Taxes, and Health Care
A new poll released by the Center of the American Experiment shows Democrat Tim Walz with an eight-point lead in Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, though a plurality of respondents want to see the state move in a “more conservative” direction. According to the poll, 43 percent of likely voters plan to…
Read MoreTim Walz Has Change of Heart on Gas Tax After Poll Shows Minnesotans Disagree With Him
Minnesota Democrat gubernatorial nominee Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) is walking back a promise to raise the gas tax in the state after a new poll shows that a majority of Minnesotans disagree with the proposal. According to a recent KSTP and Survey USA poll of likely Minnesota voters, 52 percent…
Read MoreWalz and Johnson Battle Over School Choice, Achievement Gap in Wednesday Debate
Minnesota gubernatorial candidates Jeff Johnson and Tim Walz squared off in a debate Wednesday morning at the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce to discuss workforce issues. The candidates remained civil throughout the discussion, but things grew noticeably heated when Minnesota’s achievement gap was mentioned, with the state consistently ranking among the…
Read MoreJeff Johnson Asks Tim Walz to Clarify Impact of His Plan to Implement a Single-Payer System in Minnesota
With early voting set to begin Friday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson is calling on Democrat Tim Walz to clarify his stance on implementing a single-payer health care system in Minnesota. In a Tuesday press release, Johnson’s campaign states that while several media outlets have reported that Walz supports a…
Read MorePoll Shows Large Number of ‘Undecided’ Voters Will Put Minnesota Gubernatorial Race in the Hands of ‘Independents’
A new poll shows Democrat Tim Walz leading Republican Jeff Johnson in Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, though both candidates are trying to win over a large percentage of undecided voters. According to a new MPR News and Star Tribune poll, 45 percent of likely voters favor Walz, while 36 percent said…
Read MoreGOP Gubernatorial Candidate Jeff Johnson Challenges Double Whammy Cost to State of Federal Refugee Program
GOP gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson has raised the trifecta of issues facing states where the federal government’s contractors are resettling refugees – cost, transparency and accountability. Johnson’s call to pause refugee resettlement in Minnesota demonstrates his understanding that costs being forced onto the state to pay for the federal program is…
Read MorePolls Show Voters Agree With GOP’s Johnson On Key Issues, But Democrat Walz Holds Small Lead in Governor’s Race
Two new polls released this week show that Democrat Tim Walz has a slight edge over Republican Jeff Johnson in the race for Minnesota’s governor. The first poll, conducted by KSTP and Survey USA, reveals that 47 percent of likely voters back Walz, while 40 percent support Johnson, and 10…
Read MoreMinnesota Candidates Break from the Campaign Trail to Commemorate 9/11
Minnesota’s political candidates took a brief pause from the campaign trail Tuesday morning to commemorate the seventeenth anniversary of 9/11. “Today, we both mourn and remember the tragedy of September 11. We’re reminded of those who gave everything serving and sacrificing for others. 17 years later, we remember those highest…
Read MoreEXCLUSIVE: MyPillow’s Mike Lindell Opens Up About Trump, Crack, ‘Evil’ Ellison, and More
Mike Lindell, founder and CEO of MyPillow, first met President Donald Trump the summer before the 2016 election. “When I met him, I go: ‘Wow, there’s nobody on this planet I’d rather have be my president than Donald Trump,’” he told The Minnesota Sun. Lindell was launched into the political…
Read MoreMinneapolis is Doing Everything It Can to Become a Sanctuary City
A Minneapolis city ordinance prevents local police officers from inquiring “about immigration status” when conducting their policing. The policy made local headlines in early August when Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disparaged Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis President Bob Kroll and his colleagues for appearing in a campaign mailer for Tim…
Read MoreDemocrat Tim Walz Wants to Offer Two Years of Free College If Elected Minnesota’s Governor
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Walz wants to provide 2 years of tuition-free college to Minnesota students if elected to become the state’s next governor. According to his campaign website, Walz wants to give “every Minnesotan a shot at higher education,” saying his administration would offer “2 years” of “tuition-free education…
Read MoreMinnesota Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off in Heated Debate at State Fair
Gubernatorial candidates Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN-01) and Republican Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson squared off at the Minnesota State Fair Friday in their most heated debate yet. In front of a large crowd at the St. Paul fairgrounds, the two typically cordial candidates hurled an atypical number of accusations at…
Read MoreData On Minnesota’s Participation in Refugee Resettlement Program Is Hard to Come By
Minnesota has generously welcomed more refugees per capita than any other state under the federal government’s Refugee Resettlement Program, but data on its cost to taxpayers is difficult to come by. In March, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor released a report on the program to determine what sort…
Read MoreFEATURE: How An Unelected Board of Officials is Deliberately Sabotaging Minnesota Commuters
It’s two hours before class starts, but Haley is already on the road. “I haven’t missed work or class because I always try to leave two hours before I start, just to make sure I get there on time,” she said. In one week, Haley estimates that she wastes up…
Read MoreMinnesota Politicians Invade State Fair, But Voters Want to Leave Politics At Home
Each year, the Minnesota State Fair looks more and more like a political convention, but this year fair-goers seem to have had enough of the politicization of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Both major parties, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party and the state GOP, have booths at the fair with their respective…
Read MoreRepublican Jeff Johnson Closing In On Tim Walz In Minnesota Governor’s Race
The latest poll out of Suffolk University shows that Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson (pictured, left) trails his opponent Rep. Tim Walz (pictured, right) by only five points in the race for Minnesota’ governorship. The poll, conducted between August 17 and August 20, surveyed 500 Minnesotans on their opinions of…
Read MoreVP Pence Will Return to Minnesota, Highlighting High-Stakes Election for Republicans
Vice President Mike Pence plans to return to Minnesota for the second time in one month, highlighting the unusual importance of the consistently blue state for the 2018 elections. On August 8, both Pence and President Trump visited Duluth, Minn. to campaign for Pete Stauber, a candidate for the state’s…
Read MoreJohnson and Walz Spar Over Taxes, Refugee Resettlement In First Minnesota Gubernatorial Debates
It’s been just one week since Rep. Tim Walz and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson won their respective primaries, but the two are already hitting the debate circuit in their race for Minnesota’s governor seat. On Friday, the two went head-to-head in front of a live audience in Nisswa, Minn.,…
Read MoreIn Upset Over Pawlenty, Johnson Will Face Off Against Dem Walz in Minnesota Gubernatorial Race
After a shocking upset over former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Republican nominee Jeff Johnson is set to face off against Rep. Tim Walz in the Minnesota gubernatorial contest. Pawlenty, the last Republican to occupy the Governor’s mansion, failed to secure the nomination from the state party, but vastly outspent the Hennepin…
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