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With an insider’s eye, Hot Dish tracks the tastiest bits of Minnesota’s political scene and keep you up-to-date on those elected to serve you.

Contributors in Minnesota: Jennifer Brooks, Baird Helgeson, Patricia Lopez, Jim Ragsdale, Rachel E. Stassen-Berger and Glen Stubbe. Contributors in D.C.: Kevin Diaz and Corey Mitchell.

Posts about Minnesota campaigns

Same-sex marriage group raised $2 mill. for legislative fight

Posted by: Baird Helgeson Updated: May 22, 2013 - 10:00 PM

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The group that successfully pushed to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota raised more than $2 million for its Capitol lobbying effort.

The money went to organize people to contact their legislators and about $500,000 went for advertising, Minnesotans United said.

Campaign manager Richard Carlbom said the group's fund-raising success came from the fact that “everyday Minnesotans wanted to secure the freedom to marry.”

The group’s effort was among the most intense of the legislative session, which concluded Monday. It is also likely to be one of the most well-funded lobbying efforts at the Capitol this year.

In January, some DFL legislative leaders wanted to wait until next year to push for same-sex marriage. But the relentless effort by Minnesotans United culminated in two dramatic floor votes to pass the proposal. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton signed the measure last week in a historic outdoor bill signing.

The group that tried to block same-sex marriage, Minnesota for Marriage, declined to release its fund-raising numbers.

Minnesota for Marriage pushed for a constitutional amendment blocking same-sex marriage, which voters rejected in November. The effort by Minnesotans United to legalize same-sex marriage spawned out of the group's victory defeating the amendment.

The National Organization for Marriage, a main backer of the Minnesota effort to block same-sex marriage, simply did not have the money to spend in Minnesota this year, an official said. NOM had been fighting similar marriage–related battles in several other states.

“There wasn’t the money. There weren’t the resources,” said Frank Schubert, national political director for NOM. “The cupboards were bare, or more than bare.”

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Minnesota Aug. 1.

Minnesotans United has now created a political-action group to raise money to support candidates who voted to legalize same-sex marriage.
 

Court: Votes for gay marriage not cause for recall

Posted by: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Updated: May 22, 2013 - 1:29 PM

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The Minnesota Supreme Court says that lawmakers' votes to legalize same sex marriage do not provide cause for recall elections.

Crow Wing County Republican Doug Kern, of rural Brainerd, filed petitions to recall DFL Reps. Joe Radinovich and John Ward based on their support for legalization of same-sex marriage.

"Constituent disagreement with how their elected representative exercised discretion, through public statements made or votes taken, does not equate to malfeasance by the representative," the court said in an order dismissing the recall petition against Radinovich earlier this week. The court issued a similar order dismissing the petition against Ward.

State law sets the recall bar very high for public officials, only allowing recall elections to go forward based on "serious malfeasance or nonfeasance" in performance of public duties.

The dismissal of the recall effort does not end the possible consequences for lawmakers' votes on the marriage issue.

Both the Baxter area Ward represents and the Crosby area Radinovich represents favored the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage last year. If they run for re-election in 2014, voters may express their disappointment at the polls.

 

 

Poll gives Franken a big lead over all potential GOP opponents

Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: May 21, 2013 - 3:04 PM

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Minnesota U.S. Sen. Al Franken leads all potential GOP opponents by comfortable double-digit margins, according to a Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday.
 
Among those tested by the Democratic polling firm was U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, who he leads 55-38, a 17 point margin.
 
Franken leads conservative talk show host Jason Lewis by the same 17 point margin (54-37), as well as state Sen. Julianne Ortman (52-35).
 
Narrowing the gap slightly against the first-term senator were businessman Mike McFadden and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, who came within 15 points apiece (both at 51-36). Sen. Julie Rosen trailed by 16 points (52-36).
 
Overall, Franken weighed in with a 51 percent approval rating, while 42 of voters disapprove. (His approval rating is 6 points better than President Obama’s in the state).
 
One of the reasons for Franken’s commanding lead in the early going is the low-profile of the potential GOP field. That is actually a sign of hope for the Republicans. “Because of the low profile of the potential GOP candidates they do have a good amount of room to grow against Franken,” the pollsters concluded, “although he's certainly a clear favorite at any rate.”
 
Other findings from Minnesota:
 
- Minnesota voters support requiring background checks for all gun purchases by a 74-21 margin.
 
- Amy Klobuchar continues to be one of the most popular U.S. senators in the country, with 61 percent of voters approving of her to only 28 percent who disapprove. She’s one of only eight senators with over a 60 percent approval rating.
 
- “It's looking more and more like the damage Tim Pawlenty did to himself with his failed 2012 Presidential bid is going to prove to be permanent in Minnesota. Only 39 percent of voters in the state have a favorable opinion of him compared to 50 percent with a negative one.”
 
- “Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman isn't very popular in the state either, with a 37-39 favorability rating and 24 percent of voters having no opinion about him.”
 
The survey of 712 Minnesota voters was conducted May 17-19.

Graves-Bachmann matchup starts as a dead heat

Posted by: Kevin Diaz Updated: May 20, 2013 - 3:55 PM

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With almost 18 months to go before U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann next faces Minnesota voters, the contours of a tough race are already taking shape.
 
A new survey, coming as the probe into her 2012 presidential campaign finances widens, shows her in a statistical tie with DFL businessman Jim Graves, who lost to her by little more than 1 percent in November.
 
Graves, who will be in Washington this week to meet with national party officials, touted the survey results showing him ahead of Bachmann 47 percent to 45 percent among voters. The difference is within the poll's 4.4 percent margin of error.
 
More ominous for the four-term congresswoman is her approval rating of 44 percent, well below the magic 50 percent mark where incumbents like to be. Meanwhile, 51 percent had an unfavorable rating, and this in an overwhelmingly Republican district. Just as remarkable, given Bachmann’s national Tea Party profile, is that 5 percent of voters in her district said they aren’t sure how they feel about her.
 
(Graves numbers are 39 percent favorable, 33 percent unfavorable, and 28 percent not sure).
 
Some GOP analysts say the numbers could explain why Bachmann has launched an unusually early television ad campaign so far in advance of the election. Recent filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show that Bachmann’s campaign also has been spending money on polling.
 
The Public Policy Polling survey of 500 district voters was conducted last Wednesday, the day before Bachmann’s ads went up.
 
Commissioned by the Graves campaign, the survey also shows a significant gender gap for Bachmann. If only women voted, Graves would be ahead 50 percent to 38 percent. (Among men, Bachmann leads 52 percent to 43 percent).

Higher campaign spending limits on the way

Posted by: Rachel E. Stassen-Berger Updated: May 18, 2013 - 7:53 PM

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Lawmakers are poised to grant next year's Minnesota candidates permission to raise and spend more campaign cash, to allow them to compete with massive spending from outside groups.

The new limits awaiting House and Senate floor votes but approved by a joint legislative committee, double the amount an individual can give to candidates for most campaigns and dramatically increases the amount of money candidates could spend.

Candidates for governor, for instance, will be able to spend $5 million during an election cycle whereas previously they could spend just $2.7 million, if they agreed to spending limit. Legislative candidates would also see the amount they are permitted to spend double.

Unlike some versions of the measure, the final agreement does not put in place new regulations over so called "electioneering communications," which are messages that outside groups send out near an election to praise or criticize a candidate but don't specifically include an entreaty to vote for or against that candidate.

The measure also creates a new exception to the ban on lawmakers receiving gifts. Now, if a group invites the entire Legislature to an event, lawmakers can eat and drink on that group's dime without worrying they are receiving a prohibited gift.

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