NRCC MEMO: MINNESOTA PRIMARY RESULTS
| TO: INTERESTED PARTIES FROM: NRCC POLITICAL AND NRCC COMMUNICATIONS DATE: AUGUST 10, 2010 SUBJECT: MINNESOTA PRIMARY RESULTS With 84 days to go until the election, Republicans in the Land of 10,000 Lakes are making progress towards taking back a seat lost in the 2006 election while Democrats are preparing to, once again, come up short in gaining ground in the Twin Cities suburbs. Challengers: MN-01 (Rep. Tim Walz, DFL) Tim Walz rode an anti-incumbent wave in 2006 when he defeated Rep. Gil Gutknecht. Since his election, Walz has displayed a wanton disregard for Southern Minnesota families as he rubber-stamps the Obama-Pelosi agenda time and time again. Most notably Walz voted against two of the region’s most important industries, healthcare and agriculture, when he supported the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare and National Energy Tax. The candidate getting ready to turn the tables on Walz and take back this seat is Randy Demmer. Prior to serving in the state legislature, Demmer was a successful small business owner and farmer, giving him keen insight into the issues that weigh heavy on the minds of southern Minnesota families. In a preview of the race to come, Demmer came out swinging at the first candidate forum by holding Walz accountable for supporting policies that are putting the squeeze on Minnesota families. Walz’s history of rubber-stamping the unpopular Obama-Pelosi agenda, a political climate favorable to Republicans and Randy Demmer’s background as a salt-of-the-earth southern Minnesotan make this the most likely Minnesota Congressional seat to flip parties this November. Geography: Minnesota’s First Congressional District sits atop Iowa, stretching from the Mississippi River bluffs, across the North Star State’s fertile farmland, coming to stop at the Minnesota-South Dakota border. History: In 2004, George W. Bush carried this district with 51% of the vote. Barack Obama won the district with 51% in 2008. Incumbents: MN-06 (Rep. Michele Bachmann, R) Every election season brings with it Democratic claims that this will be the year they defeat Michele Bachmann. However, Rep. Bachmann has successfully beat back these challenges because her constituents share her views of lower taxes, limited government and personal responsibility. As the public face of a tax-and-spend Democratic-Farm-Labor Senate Caucus, Tarryl Clark faces significant, if not insurmountable hurdles, in her quest to beat Michele Bachmann. In her role as the assistant majority leader for the state Senate, Clark serves as her party’s biggest cheerleader for a cadre of tax increases and other job-killing pieces of legislation that no doubt put her in the fringe minority in this decidedly conservative district. Further proving that her views don’t square with this district’s electorate, Clark has said she would’ve voted for the wildly unpopular government takeover of healthcare that slashes hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare. While both candidates will certainly be well funded, the favorable political environment and Clark’s tax-and-spend philosophy will surely make this one of the fall’s most anti-climatic races. Geography: Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District starts along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, wraps around the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities and passes through central Minnesota’s farmland as it heads westward past the city of St. Cloud. History: In 2004, George W. Bush carried this district with 57% of the vote. John McCain won the district with 53% in 2008. Other Incumbents: Reps. John Kline and Erik Paulsen are not facing serious challenges in their respective bids for re-election and are considered safe heading into the fall. Statewide Roundup: The following are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary election in Minnesota. These results are UNOFFICIAL AND INCOMPLETE until certified by the State Canvassing Board. DISTRICT NAME RAW VOTE __% US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 2, Democratic Primary US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 4, Republican Primary US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 4, Democratic Primary US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 5, Democratic Primary US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6, Democratic Primary US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 7, Republican Primary US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 8, Democratic Primary (Source: MN Secretary of State, as of 10:11 pm EDT) ###
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