Midwest
Minnesota Dems disavow endorsement of candidate accused of stalking opponent
- The Minnesota Democratic Party has disavowed a local chapter’s endorsement of Judd Hoff, a state House candidate with a troubling criminal past.
- Hoff is also accused of digging through his Republican opponent’s garbage and moving into a house across the street from hers.
- Republican state Rep. Josh Heintzeman also noted Hoff’s harassment of Rep. Mary Franson has gone as far as “publishing her address and contact information, filming her at her private residence, and relentlessly sending rude and threatening messages online.”
Minnesota Democrats have disavowed a local party chapter’s endorsement of a state House candidate who has a violent criminal history and is accused of stalking and harassing the Republican lawmaker he is challenging.
Judd Hoff was endorsed this month by Democrats in District 12 to run for a central Minnesota seat that has been represented by Republican Rep. Mary Franson of Alexandria since 2011. Republicans were quick Monday to demand that Democrats rescind their backing of Hoff.
“Democrats must withdraw their endorsement of this repeat criminal,” GOP Rep. Josh Heintzeman, of Nisswa, said in a statement. “For years he has harassed and stalked Rep. Franson by digging through her trash, publishing her address and contact information, filming her at her private residence, and relentlessly sending rude and threatening messages online.”
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Franson’s district is heavily Republican and is not considered competitive. She won reelection in 2022 with nearly 70% of the vote. She tweeted that she considered Hoff to be dangerous and asked, “Why is this the guy they want as a candidate?”
Ken Martin, chairman of Minnesota’s Democratic Party, said in statement later Monday that the party “strongly disavows this endorsement,” and he asked the local party unit to withdraw its endorsement immediately. He said the state party won’t spend any of its resources to support Hoff.
The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul is photographed. (Google Earth)
“We all have a responsibility, regardless of party or ideology, to reject violence in our politics — we can and should expect better from candidates for elected office,” the Democratic leader said.
Hoff’s criminal history includes a felony second-degree assault conviction for wielding a 23-inch machete during an argument in 2020. He was sentenced to 13 months and spent about eight months in jail. Court records show the judge gave him a break over the prosecution’s objections because the victim was the initial aggressor.
In a video posted to YouTube, first surfaced by former GOP operative Michael Brodkorb, Hoff admitted to digging through Franson’s garbage and acknowledged moving into a home across the street from Franson.
The chair of the district and county party committee, Bonnie Bina, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Hoff was the only candidate who came forward to run for the seat. She acknowledged that it’s hard to recruit Democratic candidates to take on incumbents in such a heavily Republican area.
Bina also acknowledged that delegates knew that Hoff had a criminal record and had spent time in prison. But she said he told them he was past that and had become active in the community. She declined to comment on whether they were aware of the allegations that he harassed Franson.
The local party committee will decide its next steps after getting more information from the state party office and reviewing party rules, she said, adding that she didn’t know how long that would take.
Hoff did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
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A troubling trend for the Wisconsin football continues when it comes to the NFL Draft.
In the past, it was common for Wisconsin football players to be taken early and often over the three days of the draft, but recently, the number of Badgers being taken is dwindling. And when they are, they have been late Day 3 picks.
This year the program hit rock bottom. Not one Badger got drafted in 257 selections, the first time since 1978. There was a thought that maybe a few Badgers would be picked late, but they all went undrafted.
But that doesn’t mean those players football dream is over.
As soon as that last pick is announced, players are agreeing to sign on with teams as undrafted free agents (UDFAs). As was the case with many other former Wisconsin Badgers, these players will have a shot to make an NFL roster in 2026 the hard way.
Here is where every Badger landed as an undrafted rookie after the NFL Draft was completed.
Destinations For Every Undrafted Wisconsin Badger
EDGE Mason Reiger – Signed with the Miami Dolphins – via Jordan Schultz
WR Vinny Anthony – Signed with the Atlanta Falcons – via Nick Osen, 247Sports
TE Lance Mason – Signed with the Seattle Seahawks – via Aaron Wilson, KPRC 2 Houston
S Austin Brown – Signed with the Indianapolis Colts – via Tom Pelissero, NFL Network
OL Riley Mahlman – Signed with the Atlanta Falcons – via Aaron Wilson, KPRC 2 Houston
CB Nyzier Fourqurean – Signed with the Los Angeles Rams – via Aaron Wilson, KPRC 2 Houston
EDGE Darryl Peterson – Signed with the Los Angeles Rams – via Aaron Wilson, KPRC 2 Houston
FB Jackson Acker – Signed with the Buffalo Bills – via Aaron Wilson, KPRC 2 Houston
DL Ben Barten – Signed with the New York Giants – via Wisconsin Football
WR Jayden Ballard – Invited to minicamp with the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts – via Aaron Wilson, KPRC 2 Houston
DL Jay’Viar Suggs – Signed with the New Orleans Saints – via US Sports Management
DL Parker Petersen – Signed with the Carolina Panthers – via Wisconsin Football
K Nathanial Vakos – Invited to minicamp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – via Wisconsin Football
This will be updated with new signings.
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The Detroit Lions’ 2026 NFL draft class is in the books, and the team used seven draft picks to fill needs and add depth throughout the roster. General manager Brad Holmes got to work in the middle of the first round by grabbing their right tackle of the future, and then snagged a high upside edge in the second round. On Day 3, Detroit added more depth at linebacker, corner, slot receiver, and added a couple of defensive linemen.
Here’s a look at the team’s 2026 draft class:
Throughout the offseason, SB Nation will host surveys for NFL fans, sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook, who currently have the Lions listed as +1800 to win this year’s Super Bowl, +850 to win the NFC Championship, and +150 to win the NFC North as the current favorites.
For Pride of Detroit, we are tasked with fielding questions from Lions fans, and with the NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, our question for this week’s survey is…
How would you grade the Lions’ 2026 NFL Draft?
Please vote in the survey below, share your feedback in the comments, and check back on Monday for the results.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country. If you want to get these surveys emailed to you weekly, you can sign up here.
7 Brew to open three Milwaukee-area stands
7 Brew is expanding with three new coffee stands in the Milwaukee area, offering energy drinks, smoothies, and unique coffee options.
The rapidly growing coffee chain 7 Brew has opened a new location in Milwaukee, bringing the drive-thru beverage brand its first — but not last — spot in the city.
On Thursday, April 23, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the location, at 350 W. Layton Ave.
The business will celebrate its opening with a “Swag Day” T-shirt giveaway for customers who purchase a large drink on Saturday, May 2.
“Milwaukee is such a vibrant and welcoming city, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it,” said Tommy Pennington, a local 7 Brew franchisee.
Other 7-Brew locations will open later this spring or summer at 3702 S. 27th St. in Milwaukee and 5265 N. Port Washington Road in Glendale. They’ll join 13 current Wisconsin locations, including in Brookfield and West Bend.
Founded in 2017, the company offers coffee, energy drinks, smoothies, sodas and teas on the menus at each location.
By 2023, 7 Brew opened more than 100 stands and, by 2025, the number of locations increased to 500.
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