At the end of the week, those who want to get their votes cast for president, Congress, statehouse or other offices can do it. Early voting begins on Friday. Party leaders are hoping to bank their sure votes so they can focus on applying pressure on those who need an extra nudge, people on the fence or those who might not vote at all. Throughout the week, we’ll have stories about how to cast those ballots and the efforts to get you to do it.
It has been widely reported now that Tim Walz and his brother (and other extended members of the Walz family) don’t see eye-to-eye on the presidential race. Former Republican President Donald Trump has incorporated the family discord into his rally speeches. In Arizona last week, Trump told the friendly crowd he “got the endorsement of the vice president's brother, and even sent me a contribution.” Jeff Walz, the estranged brother of Tim Walz, sent Trump a small donation in a prior campaign but says he’s not eager to get very involved in this campaign. Trump went on, “We have the endorsement of the brother of the future vice president. He better not win. If he ever won, this country will be in bad shape.” The New York Times wrote about the Walz family dynamic for a story Sunday. A reminder that not all members of the Trump family are behind Trump. His niece, Mary, and nephew, Fred, are both outspoken critics and have written books about their uncle that show him in an unfavorable light. Of the Walz family split, the sister of Tim Walz said this: “This too will pass,” she said. “Family is forever.”
Last week’s MinnPost poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris has a narrow lead over Trump in Minnesota.Harris has a slim majority over Trump with 49 percent to his 44 percent, according to the poll that surveyed 1,616 likely 2024 voters. But the poll also shows Harris is behind where President Joe Biden had support in Greater Minnesota and Trump is leading with suburban voters. Walz had a 50 percent favorability rating in Minnesota, the highest among all the four named candidates on the presidential ticket.
If you missed it, we spoke to U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad’s DFL challenger Rachel Bohman on Politics Friday last week. The lawyer and former Hennepin County elections chief is running in a Republican-heavy district where Finstad beat his Democratic opponent by 11 percentage points in 2022. (It’s also Walz’s former district). She said if elected, she would focus on affordable health care and child care and would also support a federal abortion law. When asked what Finstad has done well in the first district, she said she supports a lot of what Finstad has proposed for farming and agriculture in southern Minnesota. She said Minnesotans in the 1st Congressional District “is out there listening to folks.” Catch the full episode here. Our invitation to Finstad hasn’t yielded an interview yet, but we hope he’ll come on.
A Republican House candidate’s past work with a group that advises its members to “renounce all homosexual thoughts” is getting renewed attention. Axios reporter Torey Van Oot reports that Republican candidate for House District 48B Caleb Steffenhagen in the southwestern suburbs worked with a group that counseled against LGBTQ+ relationships. The Minnesota-based men’s group, Dangerous Men United, focuses on living free of “lust” and porn and has counseled members against same-sex attraction. Steffenhagen told Axios his personal belief is that the Bible makes it “pretty clear" same-sex attraction is a “sexual sin.” He added, “As an individual, I believe in freedom. So if that’s the lifestyle you want to live, I don’t like it when the government steps in and makes rules upon rules.” Steffenhagen is running against first-term DFL Rep. Lucy Rehm in a swing district.
A former state commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs has died.
Larry Herke retired from his state post last year after an ALS diagnosis. The longtime Army and National Guard officer died Friday. Gov. Walz issued a statement praising Herke as "a good soldier and a great man." As commissioner between 2019 and 2023, Herke focused on combatting veterans homelessness and helping plan for new state veterans homes. Herke was 61. A funeral is planned for this Friday in Grey Eagle.
As an aficionado of elusive local angles, one jumped out yesterday in a story about former President Richard Nixon and his stance on marijuana. Nixon pursued a tough-on-drugs policy. But when he talked about it with close aides, he had some reservations about treating marijuana the same as other illicit substances. The New York Times reported Sunday on newly reviewed Oval Office tapes that Nixon thought marijuana was not “particularly dangerous” despite what his administration was doing to enforce laws around it. Here’s the local connection: Minnesota legalization advocate Kurtis Hanna helped unearth the tape at the Nixon library as part of his personal passion for understanding the history of marijuana policy. He shared the tape with the Times, which documented some level of amazement from presidential scholars on how the public and private stances by the former president were in apparent conflict.
Our own local angle to mention: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” fans may have spotted a familiar face in last week’s segment on Minnesota’s free school meal program. It’s a reminder to dress to impress for every media avail because you really never know what footage will end up on national television when your seemingly inconspicuous governor heads to the big leagues Check out the segment and keep your eyes peeled for an Ellie cameo around the 24 minute mark. Does this merit an addition to the resume? | 
