Good morning. Mostly sunny with breezy southwest winds. Highs in the 70s northeast, to upper 80s southwest. More on Updraft The future of Minnesota’s divided state government is on the ballot in November, as all 201 seats in the Legislature are up for grabs.
This year’s election could shift Republican control of the Minnesota Senate, the DFL control of the House, both or neither. Candidates from both parties are making their case during an unusual election season that has been altered by COVID-19, and all sides are keeping a close eye on the metro suburbs.
DFL candidates are spending a lot of time on the telephone this campaign season, said House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park. They’ve also been holding socially distanced conversations with voters in local parks, and COVID-19 is a top campaign issue. Traditional door knocking by DFL candidates has gone by the wayside this year, Hortman said.
On the other side of the aisle, Republican House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt is also optimistic about GOP prospects. He said he believes flipping control of the House is within reach. Daudt, R-Zimmerman, said some rural DFL lawmakers are vulnerable, and he likes the chances of former members who are running again this year for suburban seats.
MPR News reporter Tim Pugmire takes a closer look at the political battle forming in the suburbs.
Despite some recent hopeful trends in Minnesota’s COVID-19 data, state health officials are still prepping Minnesotans to expect a long road back to normalcy.
State health officials are still prepping Minnesotans to expect a long road back to normalcy, despite some recent hopeful trends in Minnesota’s COVID-19 data.
Public health authorities have warned community spread, where the origin is not precisely known, is growing in Minnesota, driven by informal get-togethers, weddings, college student meetups and other social events where people aren’t wearing masks, socially distancing or taking other precautions.
“We’re really walking on the edge of the cliff and we’re grateful that we haven’t fallen off, but we have not moved away from the edge of the cliff,” added Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, tapping an analogy she and Malcolm have used before.
Here are Minnesota’s current COVID-19 statistics:- 1,922 deaths
- 84,949 positive cases, 78,238 off isolation
- 233 still hospitalized, 135 in ICUs
- 1,724,779 tests, 1,243,355 people tested
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-- Matt Mikus, MPR News @mikusmatt |
