Out-of-state money flows to Minnesota as governor's race tightens
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. – With one week left until the election, national groups are pouring money into Minnesota as polls suggest the race for governor is tightening.
Real Clear Politics identifies the match-up between DFL incumbent Gov. Tim Walz and Republican challenger Dr. Scott Jensen as a "toss-up" with its averages of polling data showing Walz leading by 2.5 percentage points. Other election analysts predict the contest will be a likely victory for Walz.
Still, the Republican Governors Association last week donated $750,000 to a local political fund, campaign finance records show, and the money is going toward an attack ad against Walz that falsely claims he said he wanted to "defund the police." On Monday, the Democratic Governors Association also pumped $500,000 into Minnesota.
"This is probably suggesting at this point that their polls are thinking Jensen is within striking distance," said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University, of the move by the RGA.
Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, vice-chair of the Republican Governors Association, came to Minnesota for a fundraiser on Monday and rallied with Jensen supporters in Golden Valley. It was the first event of what will be a week of barnstorming the state to make his final pitch.
"My closing argument is the heroes in Minnesota are the everyday people that are saying, 'we've had enough.' We think that Minnesota was not governed as if the governor trusted us," he said. "We're not going to stop. We're not going to leave any gas in the tank. If we collapse on Wednesday, November 9th, that's just fine. But nothing gets left in the tank."
Walz similarly has plans to travel all across the state in the home stretch, his campaign said. He'll spend time in Moorhead and Fergus Falls Tuesday.
His supporters held a news conference before Reynolds' appearance, criticizing her policies on issues like abortion and calling Jensen her "copy cat" who's out-of-step with Minnesotans.
"Tm Walz is the only choice to be the next governor of Minnesota. We've have worked with him. We've seen his dedication to public service and the public good," said DFL House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, who represents Golden Valley. "And we cannot afford to have a conspiracy theorist right-wing Republican in charge of Minnesota in challenging times."
Reynolds during her speech at the Jensen event touted her pandemic response and GOP priorities—like a flat personal income tax rate—she passed with a state legislature controlled by Republicans. She said Jensen could do the same in Minnesota in four years if he's elected.
Minnesota's legislature is divided. Republicans control the Senate while Democrats have a majority in the House, but all 201 seats are on the ballot this year and the power could shift after the election.
"His message is resonating with the people of Minnesota and it aligns so well with what we've done in Iowa and it works and we're seeing great success from it," she said.
In recent years, there's been a divided government in Minnesota. Democrats had a trifecta as recently as 2014.
But Republicans haven't controlled the governor's office and the Minnesota House and Senate since 1969—back when legislative seats were nonpartisan, but elected officials caucused with those who shared their politics, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
"People think they've seen natural disasters before—wait until Republicans get in control of this state," Winkler said. "We cannot afford to let that happen."