29 days until the Aug. 14 primary
67 days until no excuse absentee balloting opens for the Nov. 6 election
113 days until Election Day
2016 Election
Moscow now accused of US election meddling in indictment, Star Tribune
Secretary of State Steve Simon has 10 days to hand over voter information, a judge has ruled, Star Tribune
Three immediate political ramifications from the Russian intelligence official indictments:
It lands at an inopportune time for President Trump: He is days away from meeting one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin. That meeting was already controversial, and now Trump could be forced to do something he’s been reluctant to do: confront Putin about election meddling.
It lands at a pretty good time for Trump’s critics: They are fresh off finding a new figurehead, beleaguered FBI agent Peter Strzok, to argue that Republicans are trying to undermine the Russia investigation.
Trump’s conspiracy theory about hacking is rebuked: Just like Trump has been reluctant to talk about Russia’s election meddling, he “has regularly cast doubt on the idea that Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee and that it was hacked at all,” writes The Fix’s Aaron Blake. During the campaign, Trump posited that the hack could have been “somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, okay? You don’t know who broke into the DNC.” Washington Post
2018 Election — Primary
Deb Hogenson: A primer on Minnesota’s primary, Worthington Globe
Politics Friday: Sitting politicians weigh in on health care campaign promises, MPR
2018 Election — General
What the early campaign ads tell us, Star Tribune
2018 Election — Legislature
Aric Putnam: Residents deserve more from state legislators, St. Cloud Times
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s open seat draws wide pack of DFLers, Star Tribune
Phone banks and door knocks are scheduled for the Senate District 14 special election. Click here to see how you can help out!
2018 Election — U.S. Senate
California Democratic Party snub Feinstein, endorse rival, Star Tribune
US Senate candidate Bob Anderson says he’s got under-the-radar momentum, Star Tribune
2018 Election — U.S. House – 2nd Quarter Fundraising Reports from morning take:
CD 1
Dan Feehan, the DFL-endorsed candidate, raised $429,918 during the second fundraising quarter of 2018, with $631,449 cash on hand. Jim Hagedorn, the GOP-endorsed candidate, raised $172,368. The total puts the committee at over $809,000 raised-to-date, with over $390,000 cash on hand. Sen. Carla Nelson, who is running against Hagedorn in the primary, raised $117K and has $235K on hand.
CD 2
Angie Craig, the DFL-endorsed candidate, raised $700,000 and has $1.5 million on hand. Rep. Jason Lewis raised $420,000 and has $1.2 million on hand. Out of 435 members of Congress, Paulsen has raised the 8th most money from special interests – including another $500,000 in the last three months alone.
CD 3
Dean Phillips, the DFL-endorsed candidate, raised $658,000 and has $923,000 cash on hand. Rep. Erik Paulsen raised more than $1 million and has $2 million cash on hand. morning take
CD 5
Rep. Ilhan Omar, the DFL-endorsed candidate, has raised nearly $180,000 and has $150,000 cash on hand.
CD 8
Joe Radinovich raised $180,000 and has $135,000 on hand. Rep. Jason Metsa raised $100,000 and has $125,000 cash on hand. Michelle Lee raised $21,000 and has $16,000 cash on hand. North Branch Mayor Kirsten Kennedy raised $6,000 and has $3,300 on hand. Pete Stauber, the GOP-endorsed candidate for CD 8, raised $300,000 and has $414,000 on hand.
2018 Election — Governor
Murphy unveils single-payer health care plan in gubernatorial run, Brainerd Dispatch
Murphy is best choice for governor, Hibbing Tribune
Johnson-Pawlenty race gets testy, Forum News
Back on the trail: Pawlenty campaigns by asking questions, Newsleader
Truth Test: Ad attacking Pawlenty ad makes health care claims, KSTP
Echoing Trump, Pawlenty focuses on immigration in bid for old job, Star Tribune
Health Care
Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) declared Thursday that he will go to jail before he allows the expansion of Medicaid in his state. Six in 10 Mainers voted for a ballot initiative last November to expand eligibility for the program. But LePage has refused to respect the will of the voters and blocked all implementation efforts. The state House voted 85 to 58 on Monday to override his seventh veto of Medicaid expansion, but that was short of the two-thirds required. A superior court judge has ordered LePage to submit a Medicaid expansion plan, but he’s refused. Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court will hear the governor’s appeal next week. Washington Post
Immigration Crisis
Marshall protesters: Trump zero tolerance policy is cruel Marshall Independent
Where you watch TV news predicts your feelings on immigration, MPR
North Korea
Trump shared a “very nice note” from Kim Jong Un the same day reports emerged that North Korean officials had skipped a meeting with the U.S. military about repatriating troop remains from the Korean War. Washington Post
Refugees
New U of M report provides assessment of U.S. refugee resettlement organizations, MinnPost
Tariffs
Trump
Trump calls criticism of British prime minister fake news, MPR
Trump says he sees the European Union as a ‘foe’ of the U.S., MPR
Five things to watch for in the Trump, Putin summit, The Hill
- Election interference
- Syria
- Crimea
- Arms control
- Stage craft
Unions
Hillary Clinton to teachers’ union conference: Keep up fighting, Star Tribune
U.S. Supreme Court
Sen. Rand Paul might be the wild card in the Supreme Court nomination battle, Star Tribune
Upcoming DFL Events
- Today through August 13 — Primary early voting. More information here.
- July 16, 7:00 PM — Brooklyn Park DFL Meeting, Brooklyn Park Public Library, 6500 W Broadway, Brooklyn Park, MN
- July 20, 12:00 PM — Stand Against Trump, SD40 DFL Treasurer John Schafer is holding a weekly hour of protest and resistance on Fridays from 12pm to 1pm at the corner of Brookdale & Xerxes in Brooklyn Park.
- July 21, 10:00 AM — SD33 DFL marching in the Mound Spirit of the Lakes Parade
- July 21, 12:00 PM — SD49 DFL Annual Summer Picnic, Rosland Park, 4300 W 66th St, Edina, MN 55435
- July 24, 7:00 PM — SD34 DFL Executive Committee Meeting
- July 27, 12:00 PM — Stand Against Trump, SD40 DFL Treasurer John Schafer is holding a weekly hour of protest and resistance on Fridays from 12pm to 1pm at the corner of Brookdale & Xerxes in Brooklyn Park.
- July 31, 7:00 PM — SD37 DFL Central Committee Meeting, check their Facebook page for location