Minnesota Election 2018: Tim Walz and Jim Johnson will face off in governor race as ‘Blue Wave’ may be coming
Minnesota politics is being considered a litmus test for the culture and state of the nation across the nation. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is retiring and now Tim Walz and Jeff Johnson will face off in November to replace Dayton, leaving Tim Pawlenty in the cold.
In the race for attorney general, Keith Ellison overcame accusations of abusing his girlfriend to move on for a November showdown with Doug Wardlow.
Sen. Tina Smith, Minnesota’s the former lieutenant governor whom Dayton appointed to Senate in wake of Al Franken’s resignation after a sexual misconduct scandal, is running for the open seat and will now face Republican Karin Housley.
Among the data is the interest in the Democrat side of the election over the GOP by approximately 2-1. For many analysts this points to a “Blue Wave” in November, signaling a return to power for the Democratic Party.
Vox has a rundown of all of the results HERE
Fox notes the gap for Democrats (outnumbering Republicans) was 250,000 voters – a massive figure.
“The difference in enthusiasm may be enough to boost the Democrats in their bid to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives by a narrow margin,” Peter Roff writes. “But it probably isn’t enough to make Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., leader of the Senate majority. And it probably won’t change in any appreciable way the GOP’s hold on governorships and state legislative chambers.”
ELLISON ON HIS SCANDAL HERE
