Rachel E. Stassen-Berger contributed to this report

Minnesota Democrats are continuing their onslaught of criticism for GOP mailers that attack DFL House members for votes on an expungement bill and a drunk driving bill, pointing out that a pair of the Republican party's own candidates this election cycle backed the same legislation.

In a news release, the DFL said that State Sen. Torrey Westrom, a Republican facing off against Rep. Collin Peterson in the 7th Congressional District, voted to pass an expungement bill criticized in the mailers as "allowing felons to work with our school children."

Meanwhile, State Sen. Scott Newman, the state's GOP Attorney General candidate, voted for an ignition interlock bill that the Republican Party is using to go after DFL House members.

Newman, R-Hutchinson, recalled that the measure had side support from law enforcement organizations. The measure passed unanimously in the Minnesota Senate, meaning that all Republican senators voted for it as well as all DFL ones.

The Republican Party claimed in its mailers that the drunk driving measure, "weakened penalties for dangerous drunk drivers."

Newman said he would not vote for a bill that weakened penalties for dangerous drivers. Instead, he said the interlock bill allowed people who had been caught driving drunk to keep their licenses but only if they had a device installed that required them to be sober to start their cars.

"It may actually help get people off the road," he said. Newman said he had not seen the mailer in question and was comfortable with his vote for the bill.

The mail pieces drew swift criticism from the DFL, who alerted the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Minnesotans for Safe Driving about the mailers. In response the nonpartisan organizations wrote letters criticizing the mailers and praising the legislation.

On Thursday, Minnesota Republican Party chair Keith Downey struck back, saying the DFL is just as guilty of using sensational imagery in its advertisements. Downey decried the "misleading and sensational mail from the Democrat party."

"Minnesota Democrats have to use these tactics because their ideas don't work," Downey said.
DFL Chairman Ken Martin called on Downey to explain why he stands by the ads if they call out members of his own party.

"If Keith Downey and the Republican Party (are) standing behind these attacks, then they are standing behind attacks against Torrey Westrom and Scott Newman." Martin said in a statement. "If Downey is not prepared to make those charges against Westrom and Newman, then we expect he will cease to make those charges against Democrats that took those same votes."

Downey and Westrom did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.