Northland serves as campaign hotspot

By Brady Slater bslater@duluthnews.com

Vice

Not even a pandemic could stop the Northland from becoming a national presidential campaigning hotspot in 2020.

Last fall, President Donald J. Trump, Presidentelect Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence all made stops in Duluth. About a week out from the election, Pence made a campaign stop in Hibbing, too.

Even two of Trump’s children, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump, made it to Duluth during the election cycle.

Entering the year, Trump had made a lot of noise about winning Minnesota after coming within 1.52% of beating Hillary Clinton in the state in 2016.

Additionally, a growing rural and urban divide seemed to indicate Iron Rangers and others outside Duluth were more receptive to Republicans than ever before.

The Northland was ripe for attention — and attention it received.

The visits came fast beginning at the end of August, when Pence spoke at the Duluth port.

A former Duluth mayor, Don Ness, explained why he thought the Northland was drawing so much attention.

“When you have larger-scale shifting or movement, or a sense that things are a little bit more in play, then you’re going to attract national attention,” Ness said. “Unfortunately, the reality is there are fewer and fewer areas of the country that feel in play after having gone through this giant political sorting process of the last two decades.”

Trump’s arrival at the Duluth International

President Donald Trump speaks during his Wednesday, Sept. 30, campaign stop at the Duluth International Airport. Trump tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday, Oct. 1. (Clint Austin/caustin@duluthnews.com)

Airport on Sept. 30 found him ruminating on the idea that no Republican presidential candidate had carried the state since Richard Nixon in 1972.

“I don’t get that,” Trump told the crowd. “The Democrats have done such a lousy, pathetic job.” But the visits weren’t all in good political fun.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the visits served to generate large crowds — most in violation of state guidelines to limit crowd sizes to 250 people.

Only Biden, among the presidential ticket candidates, adhered to restrictions by holding a small, invitation-only event at the carpenters union hall in Hermantown. He later drew a gawking crowd with an impromptu visit to Canal Park, where video footage of the campaign stop appeared in his commercials.

Meanwhile, Trump’s rally in Duluth a week later was estimated to have attracted 3,000 people. A little more than 24 hours after his Duluth event, Trump announced on Twitter that he was diagnosed with

COVID-19. Shortly afterward, three cases of the virus locally were linked to the rally.

Pence events at the port in Duluth and the Range Regional Airport in Hibbing both also exceeded the recommended 250 people.

The Trump campaign had signed an agreement with Duluth International Airport promising not to let crowd sizes grow beyond 250. But even a chilly and wet day didn’t stop the crowd from swelling to 10 times or more that size.

Airport Executive Director Tom Werner cited Trump’s September visit in a letter denying a Pence event one month later. The Pence rally ended up being held at Range Regional Airport in Hibbing.

“The Trump Campaign is in breach of their previous agreement with (the airport) on a couple of significant items,” Werner wrote. “VPOTUS is welcome to land and park his aircraft as is our obligation. However, if there is a campaign event planned, they will have to do so elsewhere.” u