Minnesota

Do Minnesota Democrats do better in years when Amy Klobuchar is on the ballot?

Published

2 years ago

May 30, 2024

Do Minnesota Democrats do better in years when Amy Klobuchar is on the ballot?

Democratic lore has been building in Minnesota around Amy Klobuchar for the nearly two decades she’s been in statewide politics.

Since she was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Klobuchar has achieved unquestionable popularity in Minnesota, easily defeating Republican challengers in her two re-election campaigns with more than 60% of the vote.

That popularity is something some Democrats have come to count on — they argue it translates into a down-ballot boost for DFL candidates running for Congress and the state Legislature. Klobuchar, who is expected to get her party’s endorsement at the DFL’s state convention this weekend, is back on the ballot this fall seeking a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.

“She not only wins significantly in parts of the state that other Democrats running statewide underperform in, she has coattails that lift up other candidates running,” said DFL Party Chair Ken Martin, who calls Klobuchar the “speaker-maker” for helping to flip the state House. “She’s not only one of the most popular politicians, she has amazing staying power.”

Using voter data going back more than three decades, an analysis found a correlation between election years when Klobuchar is on the ballot and better results for Democrats in many other races. She’s consistently won her elections with a larger percentage of the vote than other statewide candidates, and every year she’s run, the DFL Party has won whichever chambers of the Legislature were on the ballot.

The DFL flipped the state House and held the state Senate in 2006, the year the then-Hennepin County attorney first ran for U.S. Senate. The state House and Senate both flipped to DFL control in 2012, Klobuchar’s first run for re-election. The Senate was not on the ballot during her third race in 2018, but the House flipped to DFL control after being held by Republicans for four years.

Years when Klobuchar runs statewide typically see a higher overall performance for DFL candidates in the U.S. House, state House and state Senate compared to other years. Democrats are trying to hold control of the Minnesota House and the flip the U.S. House this fall.

Jeff Blodgett, a DFL operative who has worked on statewide U.S. Senate and presidential campaigns in Minnesota, said Klobuchar’s own personal brand of politics enhances the party’s broader brand, especially with independent voters. Her focus on middle-class economic issues such as price gouging, junk fees and monopolies has helped endear her to a broad set of voters, he said.

“Independent voters in Minnesota find her familiar, comfortable, likable,” he said. “Increasingly, it’s a nice contrast to the harsh, extreme candidates the other side puts forward.”

But longtime Republican consultant and campaign operative Gregg Peppin said Democrats’ overall success in years Klobuchar has been on the ballot is “largely coincidental.”

The 2006 election was good for Democrats across the board amid backlash to the George W. Bush administration and the war in Iraq, he noted. In 2012, Barack Obama sought a second term and Minnesota Democrats turned out to oppose constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage and require an ID to vote. Democrats across the country did well in 2018, the midterm election during Donald Trump’s presidency.

“Elections are much more determined by external events and the external environment than they are by one person on the ballot,” Peppin said.

The 2024 election year will be different, with a race largely driven by how people feel about the rematch between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, he said. Klobuchar’s fourth run for the Senate will also be her first since her 2020 presidential campaign.

“Biden isn’t that popular, and she hasn’t been in that situation where there has been an unpopular Democrat at the top of the ticket,” Peppin said. “She also ran for president herself and some Minnesotans might have questions.”

Republicans have endorsed former NBA player and Steven Bannon acolyte Royce White to run against Klobuchar this fall, but he could face a GOP primary challenge from former naval officer and businessman Joe Fraser.

The bigger battle for the DFL may be internal, said Annette Meeks, a longtime Republican operative. Democrats in the Twin Cities have moved further to the left and pushed issues that Klobuchar has not, she added.

“The DFL has to decide who they are: Are they the moderates, like Amy Klobuchar and her ilk, versus the more radical wing?” Meeks said. “She might have to answer some tough questions about that in certain parts of the state.”

Klobuchar was last on the ballot during a presidential year in 2012. She outperformed Obama by more than 300,000 votes, in part because she travels to every corner of Minnesota, said Mike Erlandson, a former DFL Party chair.

“Some people say it’s silly that she visits all 87 counties every year, but it’s things like that that keeps her connected to Minnesota voters in a way other [candidates] have not attained,” he said.

She also runs like she’s 20 points behind, despite not drawing a top-tier candidate in her last two re-election battles, Erlandson said. “That will help Democrats up and down the ballot, from Biden to the U.S. House to the Legislature.”

Martin said Klobuchar works with other candidates, and other candidates “want to hitch their wagon to her because she’s so popular.”

“There are lots of question marks for Democrats right now, but the one constant is Amy Klobuchar.”

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Minnesota

Maddy Kimbrel Named Minnesota’s 2026 Ms. Hockey Winner

Published

8 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Maddy Kimbrel Named Minnesota’s 2026 Ms. Hockey Winner

Maddy Kimbrel joined an illustrious group of players as Minnesota’s 2026 Ms. Hockey winner. The award is annually given to the best high school women’s hockey player in the state of Minnesota.

The Holy Family forward scored 37 goals and 57 points this season in only 26 games for her school.

She was also an assistant captain for Team USA at the 2026 U-18 World Championships winning gold. It was her second time representing USA at the event.

Kimbrel spent four seasons playing for Orono High before moving to Holy Family this season.

The 17-year-old Mound, Minnesota product is headed to the University of Wisconsin next season.

The other four finalists for the award were Alaina Gentz (Centennial/SLP), Jasmine Hovda (Roseau), Lorelai Nelson (Edina), and Mia Miller (Northfield).

Past winners of the award include current PWHL players such as Taylor Heise (2018), Peyton Hemp (2021), Olivia Mobley (2020), Grace Zumwinkle (2017), and Hannah Brandt (2012), and 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Krissy Wendell-Pohl.

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Minnesota

Bemidji declares March as Minnesota Food Share Month; hears Project Graduate report

Published

20 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Bemidji declares March as Minnesota Food Share Month; hears Project Graduate report

BEMIDJI — The city of Bemidji declared March as Minnesota Food Share Month in partnership with the

Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign

during a

city council

meeting on Monday. This campaign is the largest grassroots food and fund drive in Minnesota.

“Food insecurity affects thousands of Minnesotans, including residents of Bemidji and the greater Beltrami County area, and access to nutritious food is fundamental to the health and dignity, and well-being of every community member,” the proclamation reads. “Local food shelves depend on the generosity of community donations to meet the growing needs of our neighbors, and every contribution — whether food, funds or time — makes a direct difference in the lives of Bemidji residents.

“The city of Bemidji proudly recognizes the extraordinary contributions of the volunteers, donors and partner organizations whose compassion and dedication ensure that no neighbor goes without, and the city of Bemidji is committed to fostering a compassionate and caring community where all residents are supported and encouraged to look out for one another in times of need.”

Ward 2 Councilor Josh Peterson read the proclamation as Mayor Jorge Prince attended the meeting virtually. Peterson attempted to award the proclamation to a Bemidji Community Food Shelf representative, but no one was available to receive it.

John Eggers,

a former educator, gave a presentation to the council regarding his Project Graduate initiative, which promotes 100% graduation rates within Beltrami County during Monday’s meeting.

“It’s not an easy task to do, but we can do it,” Eggers remarked.

Eggers shared personal efforts to promote a 100% graduation rate within Beltrami County, such as promoting graduation as a teacher at Red Lake High School recently. He hopes to do more work in Red Lake in the future.

Eggers also formed an alliance of local Bemidji businesses to promote Project Graduate. Each business will find a unique way to promote higher graduation rates while working with the alliance. Additionally, Eggers has spent the last several years forming an advocacy program that has now spread to 12 states and five countries worldwide.

He then shared ideas for the council to follow to promote the initiative. This included joining the alliance, displaying posters, “relentlessly” promoting high graduation rates, starting a PSA campaign, adding the initiative to the city’s website or newsletter and signing a proclamation.

He noted that in 2025, the city signed a proclamation and other Beltrami County cities followed suit, meaning Bemidji could once again set the trend to promote higher graduation rates.

Ward 1 Councilor Gwenia Fiskevold Gould asked how the initiative addresses underlying issues that affect

declining graduation rates

within Beltrami County, such as housing instability and food insecurity.

Eggers did not have a direct answer, but noted that graduation often helps young people climb out of bad situations. He believes that all people deal with adversity and that graduation is an important tool to help improve their quality of life.

He also pointed out that graduation rates among white students have remained steady when compared to statewide trends, but that students of color and Indigenous students’ graduation rates are lower than the state average, something that needs to be addressed to help these communities.

Finally, Eggers noted that the initiative’s drop-out prevention hotline was recently discontinued, but that students or parents can reach out to Eggers directly to receive the help needed to stay in school.

Overall, council members thanked Eggers for his Project Graduate presentation. His contact information can be found on his website,

johnrogereggers.com.

The council will next meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 16, at City Hall for a regular meeting. Meetings can be viewed on

the city’s website.

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Minnesota

Minnesota sues to block Trump administration’s withholding of Medicaid funds

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota sues to block Trump administration’s withholding of Medicaid funds

Minnesota on Monday sued President Donald Trump’s administration in an attempt to stop it from withholding $243 million in Medicaid spending, warning it may have to cut health care for low-income families if the funding is held back.

The lawsuit asked a U.S. court in Minneapolis to issue a temporary restraining order to block the withholding for Medicaid, which is the health care safety net for low-income Americans.

The move came after Vice President JD Vance said last week the administration would “temporarily halt” some Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns, as part of what he described as an aggressive crackdown on misuse of public funds.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office has a strong track record of fighting Medicaid fraud and has won more than 300 convictions and $80 million in judgments and restitutions during his time in office.

“Trump’s attempts to look like he’s fighting fraud only punish the people and families who most need the high-quality, affordable healthcare that all Minnesotans deserve,” Ellison said in a statement. “As long as I am attorney general, I will do everything in my power to defend our tax dollars, both from fraudsters and from the Trump administration’s cruelty.”

The lawsuit names the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as Dr. Mehmet Oz, in his official capacity as CMS administrator, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his official capacity as HHS secretary.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes CMS, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment late Monday.

The threatened cuts amount to roughly 7% of Minnesota’s quarterly Medicaid funding, Ellison’s office said in a news release. Minnesota could be required to significantly cut health care services for low-income families or other government services if the cuts take effect, it said.

Medicaid, which is known as Medical Assistance in Minnesota, provides health insurance to 1.2 million Minnesotans who would otherwise be unable to afford it. A family of four may qualify for Medical Assistance with an income at or under $42,759, the attorney general’s office said.

The lawsuit said the administration violated due process procedures because it was taking hundreds of millions of dollars without proving Minnesota’s noncompliance with Medicaid regulations through discovery and an evidentiary hearing.

It alleged the administration failed to provide Minnesota with details about its decision, in violation of federal law. It cited legal precedents, including one that said Congress may impose conditions on states’ acceptance of federal funds, but “’the conditions must be set out unambiguously.’”

Minnesota’s complaint further charged the administration violated the Constitution because the withholding imposed retroactive conditions on Minnesota’s Medicaid funding.

It said withholding the funds was arbitrary, capricious and part of a pattern of political punishment of Minnesota.

The administration said it would hold off on paying $259.5 million to Minnesota for Medicaid spending in the fourth quarter of 2025. Minnesota’s lawsuit challenges the withholding of $243 million of this money.

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