DULUTH, Minn. – Amy Klobuchar is once again the Democrats’ choice to carry the party’s flag as a candidate for Minnesota‘s US Senate seat.
In what was largely a Friday afternoon to promote the DFL’s legislative achievements, Klobuchar, seeking her fourth term in the Senate, captured the vast majority of delegates. In the November election he will face either Navy veteran and businessman Joe Fraser or Royce White, a far-right podcaster and former professional basketball player.
In her acceptance speech, Klobuchar highlighted Democrats’ work supporting unions, voter access, infrastructure, climate change, gun violence prevention and abortion rights.
“Together we have made Minnesota a better place,” Klobuchar told delegates. Klobuchar began her first term as senator in 2007.
Klobuchar also took aim at Republicans on Friday, calling them “peddlers of lies” and condemned the movement built by former President Donald Trump, the GOP’s likely 2024 nominee.
Nomination
In his speech, he also spoke about his experience walking through the U.S. Capitol building after the Jan. 6 riot, an event led by Trump supporters upset over unfounded allegations of election fraud. The day’s events led to five deaths in 36 hours and hundreds of arrests.
“We made sure that when the public woke up in the morning, yes, democracy would prevail,” he said.
Klobuchar was nominated Friday night by Minnesota Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, with a resounding second place by a majority of delegates gathered at the DFL State Convention in Duluth.
An attempt to nominate another candidate failed to achieve a motion supported by 25% of delegates. Most delegates also did not approve an official recount of delegate votes on the issue.
“At this crucial moment, Amy stands up to the monopolies and extremists trying to take away women’s rights in Minnesota, and the DFL is proud to endorse her for re-election,” DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin wrote in a Press release.
Minnesota’s other senator, Tina Smith, praised her Senate colleague’s bipartisan work Friday in Duluth.
“She’s not kidding you guys, she gets things done,” Smith said.
campaign strategy
The atmosphere in Duluth on Friday is decidedly different than at the Republican State Convention earlier this month in St. Paul.
There was a lot of cheering and applause for DFL politicians and problems compared to the discussions during the first day of the GOP convention, where the focus was on who was a legitimate delegate.
In addition to Klobuchar’s endorsement, a DFL campaign strategy took shape Friday.
DFL supporters will be inclined to tout their legislative successes, including guaranteeing abortion rights and free school meals for children, while contrasting the differences between Democrats and a Republican Party largely controlled by the MAGA movement of Donald Trump.
Trump, recently convicted of 34 felonies for falsifying business records related to a money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, was the top target of DFLers on Friday.
Martin lashed out at the former president during his convention keynote address, calling Trump’s move “authoritarian.”
“To me, it’s about two competing visions of how to govern,” Martin told Forum News Service, adding that Trump and the Republicans had their time in power and “wasted it on culture wars and going after people.”
“When we had power in this state, what we did was try to meet the critical needs that Minnesotans face,” he said.
The fact that Republicans have not held statewide political office since former Gov. Tim Pawlenty left office in 2011 is a sign that the state has not bought into what Republicans have been selling, according to Martin.
Loss of support in greater Minnesota
DFL lawmakers have narrowly led two of the last legislative sessions in which several campaign promises were fulfilled, such as legalizing a quantity of marijuana and providing paid leave to workers, although voting trends over the last decade have shown a loss of support in the Minnesota metropolitan area. .
However, Republicans continue their infighting, often between old-guard Republicans and die-hard Trump supporters, and polling data suggests the presidential election is mathematically a toss-up at this point.
While there is disagreement among Democrats, Martin called on party members to unite in the face of a MAGA movement that he described as “scary.”
Trump was the main target of DFL residents on Friday.
Attorney General Keith Ellison also condemned Trump during a speech at the convention on Friday.
“Your philosophy is not welcome here,” Ellison told the crowd.
On Saturday, delegates and party leaders are expected to discuss and vote on 113 resolutions, some of which have been highly controversial across the country, such as the war in Gaza and Minnesota, such as the conflict between union miners and environmentalists. .
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