3rd Congressional District Rep. Dean Phillips and challenger Tom Weiler on abortion rights
MINNEAPOLIS -- Early voting for the November election starts this week.
In some districts DFL candidates are heavily favored; in others the Republicans are likely to win, and in some districts - like the 3rd Congressional District - things are changing.
Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District includes western suburbs like Edina, Minnetonka, and Maple Grove. From 1961 to 2018 the congressional seat was held by Republicans.
That changed in 2018 when DFL challenger Dean Phillips beat incumbent Rep. Erik Paulsen. Phillips won by more than 10 points, and the election solidified the district as Democratic-leaning.
The shift in suburban votes from Republicans to Democrats hasn't been just happening here, it's been happening in suburbs across the country.
Some experts site opposition to former President Trump as an underlying factor - but the shift began earlier than that. The last Republican presidential candidate to win the 3rd District was George W. Bush in 2004. This year, Rep. Phillips is counting on pulling independent women to his side because he is for abortion rights and his opponent - former Navy submarine commander Tom Weiler - is against them, with some exceptions.
Congressman Phillips and Tom Weiler were both guests on WCCO Sunday Morning at 10:30 a.m.
"I am a father of two daughters," Phillips said. "I do not want my daughters growing up in a country that has withdrawn a freedom from American women, it's nauseating to me."
Weiler is a stanch opponent of abortion rights, but he outlined some of his exceptions.
"I believe in exceptions for rape, incest, and for the life of the mother. And I think that abortion is an extremely critical issue," Weiler said." Obviously it should be an emotional, emotional, intense conversation because we're fundamentally, you know, discussing two inalienable rights, the life of the baby and the liberty of the woman."
Democrats' hold on the 3rd District appeared to strengthen in 2020 when Joe Biden won the district by 20 points. Weiler says he is not convinced though, and believes in a time of rising inflation CD3 voters will go Republican in November.
Both Phillips and Weiler were guests on WCCO Sunday Morning at 10:30 a.m. You can watch WCCO Sunday Morning at 6 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. with Esme Murphy and Mike Augustyniak.