Good morning. The end of July is here already in a summer just flying by.
Multiple news outlets are reporting that likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her yet-to-be named vice presidential candidate will hit the road next week on a battleground state tour. That means the VP speculation involving Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz should be settled by next week . (Keep an eye out if Walz schedules an unanticipated vacation in the coming weeks.) It seems as if support for Walz on the Democratic ticket is growing among Democrats. A group of nearly 50 progressive leaders from around the country sent a letter to Harris asking her to consider Walz or Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as her running mate. In the letter, progressive leaders argued that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (another VP contender) has become known for his “shortcomings as a national candidate,” such as his backing of school vouchers. Minnesota Now had a Politico reporter on the show yesterday to discuss why Walz is rising in some quarters of the party.
The national interest in Walz is sure to lead some searching for more on who he is and what he's done. A reminder that past MPR News stories on Walz can be accessed through this one-stop archive page.
Former President Donald Trump continued to put distance between his campaign and the conservative Project 2025 blueprint. Trump has said he knows little and doesn’t endorse the policy framework, but Democrats have drawn links to past Trump administration officials behind it. The director of the Heritage Foundation project has stepped down from the conservative think tank. And Trump was among those cheering that development. Don’t expect Democrats to let up on their use of the handbook against Trump and Republicans. A Harris campaign official notes the overlap between that document and long-pushed GOP proposals.
The acting Secret Service director and an FBI official testified yesterday about the latest in the investigation into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Ronald Rowe, who is leading the protective agency, told senators he was “ashamed” that a shooter was allowed to get off several rounds, killing a rallygoer and grazing Trump on July 13. Rowe said he couldn’t defend the lapses that left the rooftop position unguarded. Meanwhile, Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate says the man who fired at the rally bought ammunition that day, was able to operate a drone above the rally site earlier and might have had a social media account espousing political violence.
National Republicans are steering clear of Minnesota’s U.S. Senate primary. The head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said he doesn’t believe endorsed GOP candidate Royce White can win the seat or the Aug. 13 primary for that matter. But the group isn’t tossing money behind his primary challenger Joe Fraser. The Star Tribune’s Sydney Kashiwagi tweeted about it.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is headed to Minnesota later this week. Sanders, an independent who has aligned with the Democratic Party in the Senate and sought its presidential nomination previously, plans events in Mankato and Minneapolis. The Minneapolis stop is focused on boosting Rep. Ilhan Omar ahead of her Aug. 13 primary; the two have promoted each other’s political pursuits over the years. In Mankato, Sanders plans a town hall event.
The pre-primary batch of state campaign reports have landed. We haven’t had a chance to get through most of them. Political parties and independent spending groups have the biggest cash piles. Among the state parties and legislative caucuses, the cash-on-hand pecking order through July 22 is:
DFL House Caucus — $2,367,923 Minnesota DFL Party (state account) —$1,853,169 Senate Victory Fund (the Republican caucus arm) — $1,402,360 DFL Senate Caucus — $1,211,337 House Republican Campaign Committee — $1,156,211 Republican Party of Minnesota (state account) — $32,909
Among outside groups, not all of which will spend down their balances in Minnesota races, the largest 10 cash balances are:
Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota — $1,611,874 HDR Inc Employee Owners PAC — $1,574,727 The PAC for Minnesota’s Future — $1,569,341 Deloitte Political Action Committee — $1,456,104 DLCC Victory Fund — $1,326,139 Minnesota Family Prosperity Project — $1,181,887 Education Minnesota PAC — $1,130,365 WIN Minnesota PAC — $830,000 Faith in Minnesota Action — $806,637 Advance Minnesota Independent Expenditure Committee — $679,526
Among state House candidates, the 10 biggest campaign reserves were:
Republican Rep. Bernie Perryman (14A) — $91,529 DFL Rep. Zack Stephenson (35A) — $86,104 DFL candidate Lucia Wroblewski (open 41A seat) — $79,606 DFL Rep. Matt Norris (32B) — $73,457 Republican Rep. Andrew Myers (45A) — $71,577 DFL Rep. Ginny Klevorn (42B) — $66,112 DFL challenger Abdi Daisane (14A) — $63,662 Republican Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar (3B) — $63,662 DFL candidate Kari Rehrauer (open 35B seat) — $62,472 Republican Rep. Jeff Dotseth (11A) — $56,865
While outside groups routinely shuffle around six-figure amounts among each other, Minnesota has two individual donors who have surpassed $1 million in giving for the year. Philanthropist Alida Messinger, a longtime top giver to Minnesota Democrats and party causes, has spread $1.2 million to left-of-center groups and party caucuses since February. But her donations were surpassed by a single $1.5 million donation this May to the Democratic-oriented PAC for Minnesota’s Future from Barry Munger, who is listed as a New York photographer (he’s the child of the late Charles Munger of Berkshire Hathaway fame). The PAC for Minnesota’s Future is linked to a similarly named national outfit, so it’s unclear how much of it will be spent here or used in other places. Credit to the Center of the American Experiment, who spotted the big donation first. | 