In the Know: November 8, 2018

2018 Election
Five takeaways from Minnesota’s 2018 election, Star Tribune
From donning a hijab on Capitol Hill to LGBT representation, a look at Minnesota’s firsts this election, Star Tribune
Minority candidates see both success and veiled racism, Star Tribune
Five Hmong lawmakers, two judges elected in metro area, Pioneer Press
Trump’s endorsement meant squat, Politico
Midterms delivered high-profile defeats in Hennepin, Ramsey counties, MPR
Judd ‘at a loss for words’ about winning Moorhead mayor’s race, MPR
10 Minnesota firsts in mid-term election, MPR
Minnesota poised to get two new major pot parities, MPR
Rainbow wave: How did the record number of LGBTQ nominees fare? MPR
Some tight Minnesota districts must now ask, how close is too close to call? Fox 9
Chad Hartman show: Angie Craig and Keith Ellison, WCCO
Nearly 2.6 million Minnesotans turn out, set midterm voting record in state, Star Tribune
A big night for labor, Workday Minnesota

Elections, especially gubernatorial elections in Minnesota break in the last 10 days. After the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, and the lack of ANY narrative change in the gubernatorial race it became clear that it was going to be a challenge for Johnson to catch Walz. It also became clear, after days in a row of dueling news conferences that the GOP’s greatest hope for statewide victory – Doug Wardlow – was running out of material on Keith Ellison. Ultimately Republicans lost in Minnesota statwide because of the DFL operation and the electoral winds. However, there are two examples form the Johnson and Wardlow campaigns respectively that cost them each an ability to break through. For Johnson, it was the #OverThrowtheStatusQuo theme – while MNLARS, MNSure, nursing home safety and other issues can traced back to state government bureaucracy issues – most Minnesotans are content and pretty happy with life in Minnesota. “Overthrowing” that concept was unlikely to get over 50 percent. For Wardlow, after the KSTP debate he never came up with anything that he was for – other than being against Ellison and the flawed Ellison record. Ultimately DFLers came home to support Ellison – however the image that the DFL spent a lot of money getting in people’s heads was that Wardlow would take Minnesota “backwards” The ad, complete with showing Wardlow walking backyards gave DFLers comfort that they weren’t necessarily voting for Ellison but rather stopping Wardlow from “turning back” some of the progressive causes like LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. Going backwards on those issues is not an option – ever. morning take
Democratic wins in the Midwest:

At least 290: State legislative seats flipped
At least 29: House seats flipped
7: Governorships flipped
7: State legislative chambers flipped this cycle
4: Republican supermajorities in state legislatures broken
4: States voted to expand voting rights
3: State Supreme Court seats flipped
3: Red states voted to expand Medicaid
2: States voted to raise the minimum wage
1: Senate seat flipped
1: House of Representatives captured

2018 Election — U.S.  Senate
You might be surprised to hear this, but of U.S. Senate races that have been called as of this morning, Democrats (or independents who caucus with Democrats) had won 22, Republicans had won nine, and Republicans had slight leads in three others. Even if you assign those three seats to the Repubs, Democrats had won 22 out of 34 (or 65 percent) of the 2018 Senate races. MinnPost

2018 Election — U.S. House of Representatives
GOP’s Jim Hagedorn wins Minnesota’s 1st on the fourth try, Star Tribune
40 Latinos in Congress, four races still undecided, Star Tribune

Rep. Collin Peterson is one of only four House Democrats who chaired a committee the last time the Democrats held Congress and is still around. Politico

30 House Republican incumbents lost their seats to a Democrat. Of those, 19 were in Clinton-won districts, while nine were incumbents who Republicans had previously said were in competitive, coin-flip races. And two were genuine surprises — Mia Love in Utah, who appears headed for a loss, and Dan Donovan in New York, who has officially been defeated. Axios

2018 Election — Governor
Tim Walz elected governor, emphasizing ‘One Minnesota,’ Pioneer Press

2018 Election — Legislature
Where the DFL made its gains to take control of the Minnesota House, MinnPost
This map shows that the DFL dominated the suburbs.  How did they do it? Pioneer Press
Eight was enough is 5A House race: Recount on the table between Persell and Bliss, Bemidji Pioneer

2018 Election — Minnesota House of  Representatives

Klobuchar, Amy
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar tells Colbert how Democrats can defeat Trump, The Week
The midterms message for Democrats: Go Midwestern nice, Politico

Minimum Wage
St. Paul City Council hear passionate testimony on $15 minimum wage, Star Tribune

Sessions, Jeff
Trump forces out Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general, Star Tribune



Trump
From bad to worse, Trump’s media relationship frays more, Star Tribune
Trump says the midterm election was a ‘big victory’ for him.  That’s not true. Vox
Why Trump thinks he won the midterms, The Hill
64 truly remarkable lines from Donald Trump’s otherworldly post-election press conference, CNN

Upcoming DFL Events

• November 8
  • 7:00 PM — SD48 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345 NOTE: DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR THIS MEETING
• November 9
  • 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
• November 11
  • Veterans’ Day 
  • 2:00 PM — SD40 DFL Book Club Meeting, contact the district for specifics
• November 12
  • 7:00 PM 
    • SD44 DFL Central Committee Meeting, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345
    • SD49 DFL Central Committee Meeting, 7001 Cahill Rd, Suite 21, Edina, MN
• November 13
  • 7:00 PM — SD34 DFL Central Committee Meeting, more information as it becomes available
• November 14
  • 6:30 PM
    • SD50 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Kennedy High School, 9701 Nicollet Ave, Bloomington, MN 55420.  Room C102
  • 7:00 PM
    • CD3 DFL Central Committee Meeting, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345  NOTE:  THIS MEETING IS ONE WEEK EARLIER THAN USUAL DUE TO THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
    • SD45 DFL Central Committee Meeting, City of Crystal, 4141 Douglas Dr N, Crystal, MN 55422
• November 15
  • 5:00 PM — Only One More State! ERA Minnesota Annual Fundraiser, 1203 Scheffer Ave, Saint Paul MN 55116. RSVP here.
  • 7:00 PM — SD40 DFL Central Committee Meeting, Brookdale Library, 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Room C, Brooklyn Center MN 55430
• November 17
  • 12:00 PM — DFL Environmental Caucus Meeting, Ramsey County Library, 2180 Hamline Ave N, Roseville, MN 55113. More information and RSVP here.
• November 19
  • 7:00 PM — Brooklyn Park DFL Meeting, Brooklyn Park Public Library, 6500 W Broadway Ave, Brooklyn Park, MN
• November 22 — Thanksgiving Day