| Presidential funerals offer a chance for the tallest of political guards to come down. Past leaders are remembered in their best light. And those who served in the highest offices in the land sit as witnesses rather than be the central focus for a brief time. So for that couple of hours Thursday, there were five presidents, as many vice presidents (President Joe Biden wore both hats) and their spouses, elbow to elbow toward the front of Washington National Cathedral to pay final respects to the late President Jimmy Carter . The eulogies were at times funny, usually effusive and occasionally thought provoking. The moments before and after were also worth watching. Recent presidential rivals Donald Trump and Kamala Harris sat a row apart. Trump coming face-to-face and shaking hands with his former Vice President Mike Pence for the first time since their hard break four years ago. (Karen Pence chose not to engage in pleasantries.) All of the former presidents had to be thinking throughout how they would be remembered. And Bill Clinton sat as the last president of the 20th century still with us.
Minnesotan Ted Mondale read a eulogy from his father, former Vice President Walter Mondale, who preceded Carter in death. Here’s what he told Tom Crann about that assignment, which he didn’t learn about until a call from the Carter Center about the element of the former president’s farewell plans. Mondale described himself to Crann as “a hologram” there to convey his father’s recognition of his White House mate and leave it at that. In his eulogy, President Joe Biden mentioned the Carter-Mondale model as an effective president-vice president relationship that he and other future presidents sought to emulate.
Sen. Nicole Mitchell has told DFL leaders she won’t vote while on trial. The Woodbury DFLer has a scheduled court hearing in Detroit Lakes the day lawmakers start the legislative session (Tuesday, Jan. 14, ICYMI). Mitchell was arrested at her stepmother's home last spring and charged with burglary, which she denies. Mitchell's attorney says she is required to be present for a pretrial motions hearing. The trial starts on Jan. 27. MPR News has confirmed that Mitchell informed DFL senate leaders that she won't vote during her trial, which was first reported by Torey Van Oot of Axios. That means Republicans would have a temporary edge on some days. The Senate is tied 33 to 33 pending a special election on Jan. 28 in a heavily Democratic district. (We’re not yet sure how fast certification will take, which must happen before the winner can take office.) Whether Mitchell stays in the Senate could depend on how the criminal case plays out.
We pointed Thursday to the time that House leaders have spent publicly chastising the other side as uncooperative rather than hunkering down in a negotiating room. The Senate leaders seem to be going the opposite direction. Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson met with Dana and Clay Thursday and said that talks about Senate reorganization are ongoing, as are tweaks to the chamber’s proxy voting rule. He said he was confident that both parties would be able to come to an agreement next week. Johnson said Sen. Nicole Mitchell shouldn’t be able to vote until there is a verdict. He suggested there could be difficulty working with her even after her time in court.
Polling place postings will discourage DFL primary votes from backing a state Senate candidate who withdrew from next week’s District 60 primary. It’s too late to reprint ballots, so the Minnesota Supreme Court ordered that Hennepin County elections officials post signs alerting voters that Mohamed Jama is no longer a candidate and any votes for him won’t be counted. Jama stepped away amid a residency challenge. Seven DFL candidates remain. At least three seem to be attracting the most attention: Doron Clark, a longtime party official who won the local endorsement; Monica Meyer, a prominent organizer on LGBTQ+ issues who has gained some key official endorsements; and Peter Wagenius, a former Senate staffer and Sierra Club legislative director who has landed some prominent backers. Republicans have two candidates in the running: Abigail Wolters and Christopher Robbin Zimmerman. The winner of each primary advances to a Jan. 28 election to fill the tiebreaking state Senate seat. Early voting has begun.
Gov. Tim Walz has reversed course and issued an endorsement of DFL Party Chair Ken Martin in the race for Democratic National Committee chair. Last month, Walz said he would let the DNC decide and wouldn’t weigh in on candidates. “I’m staying out of that one,” he told Dana when asked about it in an interview. But this week, he put his backing behind his home-state party chair. Walz wrote in support of Martin’s nomination, “I have seen Ken's leadership in action, and it's exactly what we need from our next DNC Chair." The DNC is embarking on a series of forums among the eight candidates for chair, who range from Martin and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler to former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and spiritual author/past presidential candidate Marianne Williamson. The election by DNC members is expected to be made at a gathering in a few weeks.
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber will continue to lead the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee. The fourth-term Republican announced Thursday that he would remain in the role and said the panel would work to “undo the damage committed by the Biden Administration and unleash our nation’s vast energy and mineral resources.” House Natural Resources Chair Rep. Bruce Westerman, of Arkansas, said he was confident the subcommittee would “continue to move us closer to our goals of restoring America’s energy dominance.” Back home, many are watching to see if Stauber makes a run for any statewide offices in 2026. | 