Good morning. Six weeks until Election Day.

A new Minnesota poll shows that Gov. Tim Walz has a marginally higher favorability rating in Minnesota than Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance, but voters are mixed about Walz crisis responses as governor.  The poll, conducted on behalf of MPR News, KARE 11 and the Star Tribune, shows that 48 percent of respondents had a favorable view of Walz compared to 47.1 percent that had an unfavorable opinion of him. By contrast 42 percent of those surveyed had a favorable view of Sen. JD Vance compared to 48.4 percent who had an unfavorable view of him. A majority of those surveyed disapproved of Walz's handling of the riots following George Floyd’s murder and a majority of those approved of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The poll also offered a glimpse into the race for control of the Minnesota House. Read the full report from Dana Ferguson here. 

The poll has two other aspects notable to Minnesota Capitol watchers. Voters statewide are basically split down the middle about which party they want to control the Legislature. In the poll, 48.5 percent said DFLers and 48 percent said Republicans. That’s pretty much a tie given the margin of error. Of course, voters statewide don’t get a say in every race. So the 134 seats — and the chamber majority — comes down to local issues and feelings toward area candidates. The other item: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who would move up if the Harris-Walz ticket wins, doesn’t really attract strong opinions yet. She’s got a favorability rating in the poll of about 35 percent to 18 percent. But a full 47 percent have no opinion. See the details here.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a temporary agreement yesterday that would keep the government funded until Dec. 20.  The bill is largely an extension of current funding levels, but Johnson dropped his demands to include the SAVE Act , the election security proposal that requires proof of citizenship to vote backed by former President Donald Trump. It would “only include extensions that are absolutely necessary” to avoid government shutdown. The SAVE Act is billed as a way to prevent immigrants who aren’t citizens from voting, something that is already illegal. Johnson wrote in a letter to House Republicans that the deal also includes an additional $231 million to help the Secret Service protect presidential candidates during the presidential election and into the coming year. The inclusion of Secret Service funds reflects heightened anxiety on Capitol Hill following two assassination attempts on Trump since July. Congressional approval of the deal is pending.

The Trump campaign confirms Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer will play the part of fellow Minnesotan and Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz in Sen. JD Vance's debate prep. It was nearly a year ago that former President Donald Trump claimed responsibility for spoiling Emmer's bid for House Speaker. But since then, the highest ranking Republican in Minnesota has remained a staunch supporter of Trump, including a speaking slot at the party's national convention this summer. The New York Times was among the first to report on the Emmer debate role. Walz has been doing his own debate prep with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg playing the part of Vance for him. The first and only scheduled debate between Walz and Vance takes place in New York City next week on Oct. 1. We’ll be carrying the live debate on our station.

Former President Trump says he wouldn’t run for president a fourth time in 2028 if he loses this time. In an interview that aired on Full Measure on Sunday, Trump said he wouldn’t run again in four years when asked by Sinclair Broadcast Group journalist Sharyl Attkisson. “No, I don't. No, I don't,” Trump said. “I think that that will be, that will be it. I don't see that at all. I think that hopefully we're gonna be successful.” It’s a rare admission of possible defeat by the former president, who has spread false claims about voter fraud and election interference to explain his loss in 2020 and preemptively stoke fear about 2024. He has previously said that the only way he will lose in November is if there is voter fraud. Trump, 78, is now the oldest presidential nominee for president after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July. 

Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning in battleground states this week.  Trump visited Pennsylvania Monday where he appeared as a special guest at an event hosted by the Protecting America Initiative, a conservative nonprofit, and rallied in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Harris is expected to travel to Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Arizona on Friday and Nevada on Sunday. Over the weekend, Harris confirmed she will deliver a speech focused on her economic policy later this week. She also met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahya, the president of the United Arab Emirates, to discuss ongoing tensions in the Middle East and the crisis in Sudan.

Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Office is considering help from an outside law firm for counsel on potential litigation related to chemical hair relaxers and social media. The requests for outside counsel services were published in the Minnesota State Register  yesterday. In the request, the Attorney General’s Office wrote that while the office has full-time lawyers who handle the majority of legal work, they sometimes seek outside attorneys with expertise in particular types of legal matters to supplement the Attorney General’s Office resources and assist in prosecuting claims on behalf of the state. The Attorney General’s Office declined to comment further when contacted by MPR News.