Biden Makes Pitch For Rick Nolan In 8th District Race
DULUTH, Minn. (WCCO) -- A tight and expensive race for Minnesota's 8th Congressional district attracted some star power in Duluth Friday.
Vice President Joe Biden spoke to hundreds of supporters of 8th District Congressman Rick Nolan in a University of Minnesota Duluth gymnasium, making a pitch he hopes will keep Rick Nolan in office.
The race between Nolan and his Republican challenger, Stewart Mills, is among the country's most expensive campaigns, with more than $15 million dollars already spent.
With just 11 days to go, Democrats are pulling out all the stops -- hoping desperately to retain control the Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.
"He's missing something," Nolan said of his opponent, "and that is what the people of Minnesota's 8th Congressional District expect out of a representative in Washington."
The rematch between Nolan and Mills is extremely close. Nolan's campaign hopes the appeal of a blue collar vice president will help shore up middle class support. Biden told the crowd that Nolan will tackle the serious threat posed by wealth inequality.
"He's in it basically to restore the middle class," Biden said. "The bargain used to be -- and Republicans used to adhere to it -- that if you work hard for the profitability of the enterprise you're with, wherever you work, and they make money, you share in what was made."
In a more folksy than fiery speech, Biden made his populist appeal -- touching on the dignity in a job, and fair pay for all workers.
"He knows that there's no reason in the world in the 21st Century on this university campus, why a woman doing the exact same job as a man shouldn't be paid the exact same wages that man's being paid," he said.
Biden ripped into Republicans and called wealth inequality the single greatest threat to the working class. He ended on a note of optimism, in a race that's had it's share of negatives.
"We are America, ladies and gentlemen, and it's time to take it back from the people who want to do something different," Biden said.
For Democrats, the visit could be crucial to the outcome of the fight for the 8th District. The race decided by fewer that than 4,000 votes in 2014.