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

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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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Vikings Have a Dubious Connection to the Dexter Lawrence Trade

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Vikings Have a Dubious Connection to the Dexter Lawrence Trade


Of the many terrible roster decisions Minnesota sports teams have made over the past 30 years, the worst of the bunch may have been trading Randy Moss to the Raiders for the No. 7 pick in the draft and linebacker Napoleon Harris.

Why are we bringing up a trade that happened 21 years ago? Because the New York Giants traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick in this week’s NFL Draft. It was the first time a non-quarterback has been traded for a top-10 pick since the infamous Moss trade in 2005.

Minnesota traded Moss for the Raiders’ first-round pick, Harris, and a seventh-round pick on March 2, 2005. The Vikings used the No. 7 pick on wide receiver Troy Williamson, who never panned out in the NFL. He had 24 catches for 372 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, 37 receptions for 457 yards and zero touchdowns in 2006, and just 18 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown in 2007.

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Williams led the league with 11 dropped passes in 2006. Minnesota traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick after the 2007 season, where he played in 10 games over two seasons and totaled just eight catches for 64 yards. He was cut before the start of the 2010 season, and that was a wrap on the former South Carolina speedster’s NFL career.

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Sept 11, 2006; Landover, MD, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver (82) Troy Williamson is unable to make the catch against the Washington Redskins in the first quarter at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images Copyright © James Lang | James Lang-Imagn Images

Moss didn’t put up jaw-dropping numbers with the Raiders for two seasons, but he set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches in 2007 with the New England Patriots. He caught 47 touchdowns in 48 regular-season games with the Patriots from 2007 to 2009.

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Whether it was trading Moss to the Raiders, the Timberwolves sending Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics — or drafting Ricky Rubio AND Johnny Flynn over Steph Curry — or the Twins cutting David Ortiz and watching him become one of the greatest players in MLB history with the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota sports teams have a long history of making terrible decisions.

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The Bengals, meanwhile, gave up the 10th overall pick for one of the best defensive tackles in the league. They’ll likely get great production from Lawrence, while the Giants are now under pressure to get the 10th pick right. New York also holds the No. 5 pick in Thursday’s first round of the draft.

By the way, the Vikings had two picks in the first round of the 2005 draft. After taking Williamson, they used the No. 18 pick on defensive end Erasmus James. He was just as much of a bust as Williams, playing in 23 games in three years with the Vikings. He had four sacks as a rookie, but injuries wiped out most of his 2006 and 2007 seasons before he was traded to Washington for a conditional seventh-round pick.

James was cut by Washington in December 2009, marking the end of his NFL career.

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Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com

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Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com


Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.

“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good. 

“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”

Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.

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“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes. 

“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”

Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).

“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”

Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.

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“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”



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ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors

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ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors



Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.

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Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.

On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.

Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

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The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.

Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.

“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.

Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.

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The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.

Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.

Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police. 

State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.

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The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.

On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.



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