Here’s the math facing the DFL in its quest to retake control of the Minnesota House: gain 11 seats currently controlled by the GOP while holding on to all the seats currently held by Democrats. Republicans, with a twenty-seat margin, are on defense, but could mitigate the loss of some seats by flipping other blue seats to red.
Technically, all 134 seats are on the ballot in November, but the partisan leans of many districts make the election result almost a foregone conclusion. So where do Democrats and their allies hope to make their gains? And where are Republicans firing back?
Data released last week by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on spending by outside political groups — think big hitters like the Minnesota Jobs Coalition — and party-affiliated political spending committees gives a glimpse of where the parties are concentrating their efforts.
If these early reports are any indication, the contest for control of the Minnesota House in 2018 is looking like the battle of the ’burbs.
Spending rings the metro
The charts below visualize the money spent by outside groups and parties on House races so far. (Since each district is worth the same to parties in terms of controlling the House, each district is represented by a square of the same size. The squares are arranged to roughly correspond to the districts’ actual geographical locations.) For clarity, MinnPost has combined expenditures that benefit one party, either by supporting the party’s candidate or attacking her opponent, into a party total.
Those dark rings around the edges of the Metro side of the charts? That’s both parties targeting the suburbs, spending in races from Woodbury to Wayzata and Blaine to Apple Valley.
Here’s spending by outside expenditure groups to benefit Republicans:
Outside IEs for GOP
Greater Minnesota | Metro | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2A
House District 2A No spending data reported |
|||||||||||||||||
1A
House District 1A No spending data reported |
1B
House District 1B No spending data reported |
2B
House District 2B No spending data reported |
6A
House District 6A No spending data reported |
6B
House District 6B Virginia No spending data reported Candidates:
|
3B
House District 3B No spending data reported |
3A
House District 3A International Falls Total spending: $3,906.25 Candidates:
|
|||||||||||
4A
House District 4A No spending data reported |
4B
House District 4B Dilworth No spending data reported Candidates:
|
5A
House District 5A Pennington Total spending: $19,364.59 Candidates:
|
5B
House District 5B Cohasset Total spending: $29,747.77 Candidates:
|
7B
House District 7B No spending data reported |
7A
House District 7A No spending data reported |
||||||||||||
8A
House District 8A No spending data reported |
8B
House District 8B No spending data reported |
10A
House District 10A No spending data reported |
10B
House District 10B No spending data reported |
11A
House District 11A Esko Total spending: $6,667.29 Candidates:
|
30A
House District 30A No spending data reported |
30B
House District 30B No spending data reported |
35A
House District 35A No spending data reported |
35B
House District 35B No spending data reported |
31B
House District 31B East Bethel Total spending: $589.11 Candidates:
|
32B
House District 32B No spending data reported |
|||||||
12A
House District 12A No spending data reported |
9A
House District 9A No spending data reported |
9B
House District 9B No spending data reported |
15B
House District 15B No spending data reported |
11B
House District 11B No spending data reported |
34A
House District 34A Rogers Total spending: $17,392.42 Candidates:
|
36A
House District 36A Champlin Total spending: $21,691.43 Candidates:
|
36B
House District 36B No spending data reported |
37A
House District 37A Spring Lake Park Total spending: $95,341.06 Candidates:
|
37B
House District 37B Blaine No spending data reported Candidates:
|
38A
House District 38A No spending data reported |
38B
House District 38B Dellwood Total spending: $70,549.25 Candidates:
|
39A
House District 39A No spending data reported |
|||||
12B
House District 12B No spending data reported |
13A
House District 13A Rockville Total spending: $12,817.50 Candidates:
|
13B
House District 13B No spending data reported |
15A
House District 15A No spending data reported |
32A
House District 32A No spending data reported |
34B
House District 34B Total spending: $2,500.00 |
40A
House District 40A No spending data reported |
40B
House District 40B No spending data reported |
41A
House District 41A No spending data reported |
41B
House District 41B No spending data reported |
42A
House District 42A Shoreview Total spending: $26,091.50 Candidates:
|
42B
House District 42B Roseville Total spending: $1,312.08 Candidates:
|
43A
House District 43A No spending data reported |
|||||
17A
House District 17A Prinsburg Total spending: $343.07 Candidates:
|
17B
House District 17B No spending data reported |
14A
House District 14A No spending data reported |
14B
House District 14B St. Cloud Total spending: $9,438.77 Candidates:
|
31A
House District 31A No spending data reported |
44A
House District 44A Plymouth Total spending: $43,658.05 Candidates:
|
45A
House District 45A No spending data reported |
45B
House District 45B No spending data reported |
59A
House District 59A No spending data reported |
60A
House District 60A No spending data reported |
66A
House District 66A No spending data reported |
66B
House District 66B No spending data reported |
67A
House District 67A No spending data reported |
43B
House District 43B No spending data reported |
39B
House District 39B Stillwater No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||
16A
House District 16A No spending data reported |
18A
House District 18A No spending data reported |
29A
House District 29A No spending data reported |
29B
House District 29B No spending data reported |
44B
House District 44B No spending data reported |
46A
House District 46A No spending data reported |
59B
House District 59B No spending data reported |
60B
House District 60B No spending data reported |
64A
House District 64A No spending data reported |
65A
House District 65A No spending data reported |
67B
House District 67B No spending data reported |
53A
House District 53A No spending data reported |
||||||
16B
House District 16B No spending data reported |
18B
House District 18B No spending data reported |
47A
House District 47A No spending data reported |
33A
House District 33A No spending data reported |
33B
House District 33B Chanhassen Total spending: $2,388.07 Candidates:
|
46B
House District 46B No spending data reported |
61A
House District 61A No spending data reported |
62A
House District 62A No spending data reported |
63A
House District 63A No spending data reported |
65B
House District 65B No spending data reported |
53B
House District 53B Woodbury Total spending: $32,811.50 Candidates:
|
54B
House District 54B Cottage Grove Total spending: $42,410.35 Candidates:
|
||||||
19A
House District 19A North Mankato Total spending: $18,337.66 Candidates:
|
20A
House District 20A No spending data reported |
20B
House District 20B Northfield Total spending: $26,522.85 Candidates:
|
58B
House District 58B No spending data reported |
21A
House District 21A Red Wing Total spending: $2,500.00 Candidates:
|
21B
House District 21B No spending data reported |
48A
House District 48A Minnetonka Total spending: $15,772.18 Candidates:
|
49A
House District 49A Edina Total spending: $2,500.00 Candidates:
|
61B
House District 61B No spending data reported |
62B
House District 62B No spending data reported |
63B
House District 63B No spending data reported |
64B
House District 64B No spending data reported |
52A
House District 52A No spending data reported |
54A
House District 54A St. Paul Park Total spending: $56,959.01 Candidates:
|
||||
22B
House District 22B No spending data reported |
19B
House District 19B No spending data reported |
23B
House District 23B No spending data reported |
25B
House District 25B No spending data reported |
24B
House District 24B No spending data reported |
25A
House District 25A No spending data reported |
28A
House District 28A No spending data reported |
47B
House District 47B Chaska Total spending: $28,041.42 Candidates:
|
48B
House District 48B Eden Prairie Total spending: $47,640.00 Candidates:
|
49B
House District 49B No spending data reported |
50A
House District 50A No spending data reported |
50B
House District 50B No spending data reported |
51A
House District 51A No spending data reported |
51B
House District 51B No spending data reported |
52B
House District 52B Inver Grove Heights Total spending: $54,886.67 Candidates:
|
|||
22A
House District 22A No spending data reported |
23A
House District 23A No spending data reported |
24A
House District 24A No spending data reported |
26B
House District 26B No spending data reported |
26A
House District 26A No spending data reported |
27A
House District 27A No spending data reported |
27B
House District 27B No spending data reported |
28B
House District 28B No spending data reported |
55A
House District 55A Shakopee Total spending: $62,367.30 Candidates:
|
55B
House District 55B No spending data reported |
56A
House District 56A Savage Total spending: $45,440.00 Candidates:
|
56B
House District 56B Lakeville Total spending: $62,390.07 Candidates:
|
58A
House District 58A No spending data reported |
57A
House District 57A Apple Valley Total spending: $53,595.47 Candidates:
|
57B
House District 57B Rosemount Total spending: $29,695.00 Candidates:
|
Legend
- Up to $95,341
- Up to $76,272
- Up to $57,204
- Up to $38,136
- Up to $19,068
- No spending data reported
Here’s the same data for groups spending to boost DFLers:
Outside IEs for DFL
Greater Minnesota | Metro | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2A
House District 2A No spending data reported |
|||||||||||||||||
1A
House District 1A No spending data reported |
1B
House District 1B No spending data reported |
2B
House District 2B No spending data reported |
6A
House District 6A No spending data reported |
6B
House District 6B Virginia Total spending: $2,969.75 Candidates:
|
3B
House District 3B No spending data reported |
3A
House District 3A International Falls No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||||||||
4A
House District 4A No spending data reported |
4B
House District 4B Dilworth Total spending: $8,338.00 Candidates:
|
5A
House District 5A Pennington No spending data reported Candidates:
|
5B
House District 5B Cohasset No spending data reported Candidates:
|
7B
House District 7B No spending data reported |
7A
House District 7A No spending data reported |
||||||||||||
8A
House District 8A No spending data reported |
8B
House District 8B No spending data reported |
10A
House District 10A No spending data reported |
10B
House District 10B No spending data reported |
11A
House District 11A Esko No spending data reported Candidates:
|
30A
House District 30A No spending data reported |
30B
House District 30B No spending data reported |
35A
House District 35A No spending data reported |
35B
House District 35B No spending data reported |
31B
House District 31B East Bethel No spending data reported Candidates:
|
32B
House District 32B No spending data reported |
|||||||
12A
House District 12A No spending data reported |
9A
House District 9A No spending data reported |
9B
House District 9B No spending data reported |
15B
House District 15B No spending data reported |
11B
House District 11B No spending data reported |
34A
House District 34A Rogers No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36A
House District 36A Champlin Total spending: $677.32 Candidates:
|
36B
House District 36B No spending data reported |
37A
House District 37A Spring Lake Park No spending data reported Candidates:
|
37B
House District 37B Blaine No spending data reported Candidates:
|
38A
House District 38A No spending data reported |
38B
House District 38B Dellwood No spending data reported Candidates:
|
39A
House District 39A No spending data reported |
|||||
12B
House District 12B No spending data reported |
13A
House District 13A Rockville No spending data reported Candidates:
|
13B
House District 13B No spending data reported |
15A
House District 15A No spending data reported |
32A
House District 32A No spending data reported |
34B
House District 34B No spending data reported |
40A
House District 40A No spending data reported |
40B
House District 40B No spending data reported |
41A
House District 41A No spending data reported |
41B
House District 41B No spending data reported |
42A
House District 42A Shoreview Total spending: $429.07 Candidates:
|
42B
House District 42B Roseville No spending data reported Candidates:
|
43A
House District 43A No spending data reported |
|||||
17A
House District 17A Prinsburg No spending data reported Candidates:
|
17B
House District 17B No spending data reported |
14A
House District 14A No spending data reported |
14B
House District 14B St. Cloud No spending data reported Candidates:
|
31A
House District 31A No spending data reported |
44A
House District 44A Plymouth No spending data reported Candidates:
|
45A
House District 45A No spending data reported |
45B
House District 45B No spending data reported |
59A
House District 59A No spending data reported |
60A
House District 60A No spending data reported |
66A
House District 66A No spending data reported |
66B
House District 66B No spending data reported |
67A
House District 67A No spending data reported |
43B
House District 43B No spending data reported |
39B
House District 39B Stillwater Total spending: $1,000.01 Candidates:
|
|||
16A
House District 16A No spending data reported |
18A
House District 18A No spending data reported |
29A
House District 29A No spending data reported |
29B
House District 29B No spending data reported |
44B
House District 44B No spending data reported |
46A
House District 46A No spending data reported |
59B
House District 59B No spending data reported |
60B
House District 60B No spending data reported |
64A
House District 64A No spending data reported |
65A
House District 65A No spending data reported |
67B
House District 67B No spending data reported |
53A
House District 53A No spending data reported |
||||||
16B
House District 16B No spending data reported |
18B
House District 18B No spending data reported |
47A
House District 47A No spending data reported |
33A
House District 33A No spending data reported |
33B
House District 33B Chanhassen No spending data reported Candidates:
|
46B
House District 46B No spending data reported |
61A
House District 61A No spending data reported |
62A
House District 62A No spending data reported |
63A
House District 63A No spending data reported |
65B
House District 65B No spending data reported |
53B
House District 53B Woodbury No spending data reported Candidates:
|
54B
House District 54B Cottage Grove No spending data reported Candidates:
|
||||||
19A
House District 19A North Mankato No spending data reported Candidates:
|
20A
House District 20A No spending data reported |
20B
House District 20B Northfield No spending data reported Candidates:
|
58B
House District 58B No spending data reported |
21A
House District 21A Red Wing No spending data reported Candidates:
|
21B
House District 21B No spending data reported |
48A
House District 48A Minnetonka No spending data reported Candidates:
|
49A
House District 49A Edina Total spending: $710.90 Candidates:
|
61B
House District 61B No spending data reported |
62B
House District 62B No spending data reported |
63B
House District 63B No spending data reported |
64B
House District 64B No spending data reported |
52A
House District 52A No spending data reported |
54A
House District 54A St. Paul Park Total spending: $1,000.01 Candidates:
|
||||
22B
House District 22B No spending data reported |
19B
House District 19B No spending data reported |
23B
House District 23B No spending data reported |
25B
House District 25B No spending data reported |
24B
House District 24B No spending data reported |
25A
House District 25A No spending data reported |
28A
House District 28A No spending data reported |
47B
House District 47B Chaska No spending data reported Candidates:
|
48B
House District 48B Eden Prairie No spending data reported Candidates:
|
49B
House District 49B No spending data reported |
50A
House District 50A No spending data reported |
50B
House District 50B No spending data reported |
51A
House District 51A No spending data reported |
51B
House District 51B No spending data reported |
52B
House District 52B Inver Grove Heights Total spending: $409.39 Candidates:
|
|||
22A
House District 22A No spending data reported |
23A
House District 23A No spending data reported |
24A
House District 24A No spending data reported |
26B
House District 26B No spending data reported |
26A
House District 26A No spending data reported |
27A
House District 27A No spending data reported |
27B
House District 27B No spending data reported |
28B
House District 28B No spending data reported |
55A
House District 55A Shakopee No spending data reported Candidates:
|
55B
House District 55B No spending data reported |
56A
House District 56A Savage No spending data reported Candidates:
|
56B
House District 56B Lakeville No spending data reported Candidates:
|
58A
House District 58A No spending data reported |
57A
House District 57A Apple Valley No spending data reported Candidates:
|
57B
House District 57B Rosemount No spending data reported Candidates:
|
Legend
- Up to $8,338
- Up to $6,670
- Up to $5,002
- Up to $3,335
- Up to $1,667
- No spending data reported
Something to note: while the GOP mostly relies on independent outside groups for spending in House races, the DFL tends to make use of party-affiliated committees. So to get the full picture, spending by official DFL party groups (the DFL House Caucus, the DFL State Central Committee) needs to be taken into account:
Party IEs for DFL
Greater Minnesota | Metro | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2A
House District 2A No spending data reported |
|||||||||||||||||
1A
House District 1A No spending data reported |
1B
House District 1B No spending data reported |
2B
House District 2B No spending data reported |
6A
House District 6A No spending data reported |
6B
House District 6B Virginia No spending data reported Candidates:
|
3B
House District 3B No spending data reported |
3A
House District 3A International Falls No spending data reported Candidates:
|
|||||||||||
4A
House District 4A No spending data reported |
4B
House District 4B Dilworth No spending data reported Candidates:
|
5A
House District 5A Pennington No spending data reported Candidates:
|
5B
House District 5B Cohasset Total spending: $22,005.64 Candidates:
|
7B
House District 7B No spending data reported |
7A
House District 7A No spending data reported |
||||||||||||
8A
House District 8A No spending data reported |
8B
House District 8B No spending data reported |
10A
House District 10A No spending data reported |
10B
House District 10B No spending data reported |
11A
House District 11A Esko No spending data reported Candidates:
|
30A
House District 30A No spending data reported |
30B
House District 30B No spending data reported |
35A
House District 35A No spending data reported |
35B
House District 35B No spending data reported |
31B
House District 31B East Bethel No spending data reported Candidates:
|
32B
House District 32B No spending data reported |
|||||||
12A
House District 12A No spending data reported |
9A
House District 9A No spending data reported |
9B
House District 9B No spending data reported |
15B
House District 15B No spending data reported |
11B
House District 11B No spending data reported |
34A
House District 34A Rogers No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36A
House District 36A Champlin No spending data reported Candidates:
|
36B
House District 36B No spending data reported |
37A
House District 37A Spring Lake Park No spending data reported Candidates:
|
37B
House District 37B Blaine Total spending: $11,241.22 Candidates:
|
38A
House District 38A No spending data reported |
38B
House District 38B Dellwood No spending data reported Candidates:
|
39A
House District 39A No spending data reported |
|||||
12B
House District 12B No spending data reported |
13A
House District 13A Rockville No spending data reported Candidates:
|
13B
House District 13B No spending data reported |
15A
House District 15A No spending data reported |
32A
House District 32A No spending data reported |
34B
House District 34B Total spending: $16,855.90 |
40A
House District 40A No spending data reported |
40B
House District 40B No spending data reported |
41A
House District 41A No spending data reported |
41B
House District 41B No spending data reported |
42A
House District 42A Shoreview Total spending: $15,435.91 Candidates:
|
42B
House District 42B Roseville No spending data reported Candidates:
|
43A
House District 43A No spending data reported |
|||||
17A
House District 17A Prinsburg No spending data reported Candidates:
|
17B
House District 17B No spending data reported |
14A
House District 14A No spending data reported |
14B
House District 14B St. Cloud Total spending: $37,726.25 Candidates:
|
31A
House District 31A No spending data reported |
44A
House District 44A Plymouth Total spending: $16,884.46 Candidates:
|
45A
House District 45A No spending data reported |
45B
House District 45B No spending data reported |
59A
House District 59A No spending data reported |
60A
House District 60A No spending data reported |
66A
House District 66A No spending data reported |
66B
House District 66B No spending data reported |
67A
House District 67A No spending data reported |
43B
House District 43B No spending data reported |
39B
House District 39B Stillwater Total spending: $11,767.65 Candidates:
|
|||
16A
House District 16A No spending data reported |
18A
House District 18A No spending data reported |
29A
House District 29A No spending data reported |
29B
House District 29B No spending data reported |
44B
House District 44B No spending data reported |
46A
House District 46A No spending data reported |
59B
House District 59B No spending data reported |
60B
House District 60B No spending data reported |
64A
House District 64A No spending data reported |
65A
House District 65A No spending data reported |
67B
House District 67B No spending data reported |
53A
House District 53A No spending data reported |
||||||
16B
House District 16B No spending data reported |
18B
House District 18B No spending data reported |
47A
House District 47A No spending data reported |
33A
House District 33A No spending data reported |
33B
House District 33B Chanhassen No spending data reported Candidates:
|
46B
House District 46B No spending data reported |
61A
House District 61A No spending data reported |
62A
House District 62A No spending data reported |
63A
House District 63A No spending data reported |
65B
House District 65B No spending data reported |
53B
House District 53B Woodbury Total spending: $16,272.85 Candidates:
|
54B
House District 54B Cottage Grove Total spending: $16,271.07 Candidates:
|
||||||
19A
House District 19A North Mankato No spending data reported Candidates:
|
20A
House District 20A No spending data reported |
20B
House District 20B Northfield No spending data reported Candidates:
|
58B
House District 58B No spending data reported |
21A
House District 21A Red Wing No spending data reported Candidates:
|
21B
House District 21B No spending data reported |
48A
House District 48A Minnetonka No spending data reported Candidates:
|
49A
House District 49A Edina Total spending: $16,592.83 Candidates:
|
61B
House District 61B No spending data reported |
62B
House District 62B No spending data reported |
63B
House District 63B No spending data reported |
64B
House District 64B No spending data reported |
52A
House District 52A No spending data reported |
54A
House District 54A St. Paul Park Total spending: $16,279.42 Candidates:
|
||||
22B
House District 22B No spending data reported |
19B
House District 19B No spending data reported |
23B
House District 23B No spending data reported |
25B
House District 25B No spending data reported |
24B
House District 24B No spending data reported |
25A
House District 25A No spending data reported |
28A
House District 28A No spending data reported |
47B
House District 47B Chaska No spending data reported Candidates:
|
48B
House District 48B Eden Prairie Total spending: $12,802.76 Candidates:
|
49B
House District 49B No spending data reported |
50A
House District 50A No spending data reported |
50B
House District 50B No spending data reported |
51A
House District 51A No spending data reported |
51B
House District 51B No spending data reported |
52B
House District 52B Inver Grove Heights Total spending: $16,224.20 Candidates:
|
|||
22A
House District 22A No spending data reported |
23A
House District 23A No spending data reported |
24A
House District 24A No spending data reported |
26B
House District 26B No spending data reported |
26A
House District 26A No spending data reported |
27A
House District 27A No spending data reported |
27B
House District 27B No spending data reported |
28B
House District 28B No spending data reported |
55A
House District 55A Shakopee No spending data reported Candidates:
|
55B
House District 55B No spending data reported |
56A
House District 56A Savage No spending data reported Candidates:
|
56B
House District 56B Lakeville Total spending: $16,272.85 Candidates:
|
58A
House District 58A No spending data reported |
57A
House District 57A Apple Valley Total spending: $4,957.68 Candidates:
|
57B
House District 57B Rosemount Total spending: $16,277.86 Candidates:
|
Legend
- Up to $37,726
- Up to $30,181
- Up to $22,635
- Up to $15,090
- Up to $7,545
- No spending data reported
A couple more caveats: Independent expenditure groups aren’t allowed to coordinate with candidate campaigns to make these campaign expenditures, but they’re generally powered by political insiders who know a thing or two about the candidates they’d like to see win. Handwritten reports (yes, it’s 2018 and some groups still file by hand) may not have all been entered in the data yet, per the CFB. Spending on candidates who lost primaries is not included.
Campaigning in a targeted district
There’s a reason so much spending is happening in the suburbs, said Maureen Shaver, a consultant and former advisor to Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Twelve suburban House seats held by Republicans — from Woodbury out to western suburbs like Excelsior — went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, creating a map where Democrats, seeking to gain control, are trying to play offense, while Republicans play defense, Shaver said. Other seats that went DFL in 2016, such as the Apple Valley seat currently held by Erin Maye Quade, who is not running for it this November, could be pickups for Republicans.
“If you look at where there is opportunity, suburban women are voters who haven’t necessarily made up their minds. They’re not as partisan, and they vote,” she said.
The House district seeing the most outside spending so far is 37A, according to CFB filings. There, Erin Koegel, DFL-Spring Lake Park, is defending the northern suburban seat she won by less than 3 percentage points in 2016 in a rematch against Republican Anthony Wilder.
The Coalition of Minnesota Businesses has spent more than $75,000 against Koegel and for Wilder, mostly on a cable ad buy. The Housing First Fund, the Minnesota Jobs Coalition and Pro Jobs Majority have spent $15,000, $4,000 and $1,000, respectively, on communications in favor of Wilder.
It’s not just the northern suburbs that are seeing big outside expenditures.
That longtime Republican Rep. Matt Dean isn’t running again this year for White Bear Lake-area District 38B leaves an open seat. This year, Republican Patti Anderson and DFLer Ami Wazlawik, who lost to Dean by 14 percentage points in a 2016 bid for the seat, are running.
More than $86,000 has been spent on mailers and cable buys attacking Wazlawik by the Minnesota Jobs Coalition and the Coalition of Minnesota Businesses, per CFB records. The Coalition of Minnesota Businesses and the Pro Jobs Majority have spent $2,700 in favor of Anderson.
Wazlawik says she knows of four or five outside money-funded mailers attacking her that have arrived at district homes.
For her part, the candidate thinks all the outside money is bringing negativity to the race.
“I think people don’t like it and they want to be able to make their decisions based on conversations they have with people and what people want to do,” Wazlawik said.
While suburban districts — combined — have drawn the lion’s share of campaign cash, the single race seeing the most independent expenditures flowing from DFL state party arms is 14B, a St. Cloud district that’s in the minority of non-suburban races being targeted.
This St. Cloud-area district has seen nearly $38,000 spent so far to help Democrat Dan Wolgamott, but that could end abruptly. Wolgamott’s opponent, Republican incumbent Jim Knoblach, dropped out of the race last month following allegations that he sexually abused his daughter, reported by Minnesota Public Radio. Non-party groups had spent about $9,400 to help Knoblach.
The Senate special
The Minnesota Senate isn’t up for re-election until 2020, but there is one Senate race on the ballot. There’s a special election in SD13 to fill the vacancy created when Sen. Michelle Fischbach resigned to become lieutenant governor.
Republican Jeff Howe and DFLer Joe Perske are vying for that seat, which Fischbach held by a very comfortable margin of 37 percentage points in 2016.
The GOP’s Senate Victory Fund has spent $61,800 to influence this race. Also spending in that race: the Advance Minnesota Independent Expenditure Committee ($1,500 pro-Howe), Pro Jobs Majority ($49,000 to help Howe) and the DFL State Central Committee ($126,000 pro-Perske).
Groups making independent expenditures toward November are just getting started, Shaver said, speculating voters in competitive districts could see as many as 40 or 50 mailers before Election Day.