2022 MN Daily Election Guide

ELECTION

2022 GUIDE

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2022 Election Guide

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Election Guide | Monday, October 24, 2022 2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080

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Election Guide 2022

MN Daily NEWS

Primary Recap Get caught up on what happened in August in case you missed it or just need a refresh

Continue reading the primary stories online at www.mndaily.com

MN Daily NEWS

2022 Election Guide

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Q&A with District 60 state senator Kari Dziedzic is running for reelection this year to continue searching for solutions to housing and public safety issues.

By Olivia Stevens, Aug. 5 ostevens@mndaily.com

Kari Dziedzic (DFL), the incumbent candidate for state Senate in District 60, is running unopposed for reelection in November. Dziedzic, who has been the senator for the district encompassing the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus for 10 years, spoke with The Minnesota Daily about her accomplishments and goals for the upcoming Legislative session.

How do you reflect on the past decade you’ve spent as a state senator?

“I think anybody that has been in a job for 10 years kind of thinks, ‘wow, this is a long time.’ But what’s different in the Legislature is just everything is constantly changing and there’s things that we’re dealing with every single day. In that 10 years, I think I’ve had a good relationship, working a lot with the Minnesota Student Association on different bills and different issues.”

Which bills that you’ve worked on are you most proud of?

“As lead on the housing committee in the Senate, housing is kind of a passion of mine. Everybody needs housing …

One of the bills we did pass [in 2018] I called the ‘bait and switch’ bill. Some larger apartments had you come in and look at a room and you think that’s the room you’re renting, so you sign the lease thinking you’d live on the fourth floor. But then you get there and you’re renting ground level, and

(Shalome Berhane/Minnesota Daily)

for safety purposes, you think, ‘I don’t really feel safe on this ground level,’ but you signed the lease. We required them to put the unit number on the lease …

We [also] made them put your move in date and move out date on the lease so [tenants] can make plans.

Last year, we worked on expanding the bus options [on the University of Minnesota campus] because there wasn’t a full service grocery store nearby, and then this year to get Universal Transit Passes. That’s something that I think was a very big issue for students.”

What are your top priorities for next year’s session?

“I’m on the tax committee as well, so a lot of student loan credits for student loans and then how to just help people with student loans. Because that debt is crippling. We didn’t pass a tax bill [this year] so that wasn’t included in the tax bill. And then just working on how we keep the cost of tuition down.

Because I believe education shouldn’t just be available for the wealthy. So how do we help people do that?

I plan on continuing in this session to work on some additional tenant protections. A lot of places will charge fees, just random fees, to pay your rent.

That’s ridiculous … Some tenants and landlords will say, ‘as things get more expensive, we want to build things in,’ but again, then put that on the lease, so you’re not surprising people. It’s a consumer protection issue.”

Q&A with 5th Congressional District DFL candidates The top two Democratic candidates plan to approach issues like public safety and student debt differently.

By Olivia Stevens, Aug. 6 ostevens@mndaily.com

The Minnesota Daily asked two of the top candidates running for the DFL nomination for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District race about their reasons for running and plans for office ahead of the Aug. 9 primary election.

Eight candidates are running this year, three Republicans and five Democrats.

As a strong Democratic district, having not elected a Republican since the ‘60s, the most hotly contested race is between DFL candidates Ilhan Omar and Don Samuels.

Omar, the incumbent representative for the district answered questions via email. She has been the U.S. representative for District 5 since 2019 and has garnered national attention for her progressive views and sometimes controversial rhetoric.

Omar has been endorsed by the DFL as well as elected officials like District

Photos courtesy of Omar and Samuels.

60B State Rep. Mohamud Noor, State Attorney General Keith Ellison and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

Samuels was a Minneapolis council member for 11 years and is now running as a more moderate alternative to Omar. He was endorsed

by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis Ward 3 Council Member Michael Rainville and retired Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo.

Democratic candidates Albert Ross, Nate Schluter and AJ Kern along with Republican candidates Cicely Davis, Guy Gaskin and Royce White did not respond to requests for comment.

Primary elections are Aug. 9, with polls open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Information about polling place locations and voter registration is available on the Secretary of State website.

What makes you the strongest candidate?

Omar: “Serving the 5th District in Congress has been the honor of my life.

We’ve made so much progress through our MEALS Act, legislation that fed millions of children throughout the pandemic, we were also able to pass $17 million in federal funding for our district for community projects, including investments to address joblessness, housing insecurity, access to healthcare and transportation barriers...”

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MN Daily NEWS

Voters head to polls for primaries

politicians that already represent me,” Mcewan said. “I’m feeling pretty represented right now.”

Not everyone supported the state’s current leaders though at the polls.

“I just want a change,” Jaren Mills said. “[I’m] not happy with the current leadership.”

Some of the top issues among voters near the University of Minnesota campus on Tuesday were reproductive rights and public safety.

Mills, a 23-year-old University alumni, said he has lived in Minneapolis for four years and is not happy with how the city has changed and become almost “unrecognizable” because of issues like increased crime.

By Minnesota Daily News Staff, Aug. 9

Community members near the University of Minnesota’s East and West Bank campuses went to the polls on Tuesday to cast their votes for the primary races. Voters said some of their top issues in this election are reproductive rights and public safety.

Polls for the primary opened at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Seats up for reelection include the U.S. 5th Congressional District, governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and county sheriff.

“Every vote counts,” Miranda OlsonOkonkwo, a 27-year-old Minneapolis resident, said while voting at the Van Cleve polling place. “Some people might not think [voting] matters in the grand scheme of things, but it does, especially when it comes to representatives.”

Gov. Tim Walz, Secretary of State Steven Simon and Attorney General Keith Ellison are all running for reelection in the DFL primary. There is also a nonpartisan vote for county sheriff on this year’s ballot after Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson announced a leave of absence in May after he crashed his county-owned SUV in December with a blood-alcohol level of 0.13%.

The race that was on most voters’ minds and has garnered the most attention though is the DFL primary

Mills said he wants to “get someone that is more in line with making this district better and making the state better.” Someone like Samuels.

Voters went to Grace University Lutheran Church, among other polling places, to cast their votes for the 2022 primary election on Tuesday.

(Olivia Stevens / Minnesota Daily

race for the 5th Congressional District.

Five candidates are running, but most of the attention has been on incumbent Rep. Ilhan Omar and former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels. Omar has been the district’s representative since 2019.

Olson-Okonkwo said she is voting for Omar because she and her husband are trying to obtain a green card for him, and they’ve reached out to Omar’s office twice for help.

“They’ve advocated for us twice, so we’re voting for her just because she’s helped us and we’ve seen direct results of her being in leadership and advocating for people,” OlsonOkonkwo said.

Olson-Okonkwo said she is also supporting Walz because he issued an executive statement earlier this summer after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In that statement, Walz said abortion will be protected in Minnesota under his leadership.

“I’m out here solely because I’m voting for reproductive rights today,” OlsonOkonkwo said. “I have two kids, and I love kids, but abortion is healthcare, so I’m out here for reproductive rights.”

Sarah Vadnais, a 22-year-old University graduate, said one of their top issues is also reproductive rights, along with climate issues and public safety.

“It was important to me to reelect Ilhan Omar and also to vote for the attorney election,” Vadnais said. “With everything going on in our country that makes you feel kind of powerless [voting is] the one thing you can do.”

While Samuels and Omar both agree public safety is an issue and the city needs reform, they disagree on the specifics of how to address it. Omar supported replacing the Minneapolis Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety in November 2021. Samuels opposed that measure, which failed when it went to voters, and wants reform to happen within the existing police department.

Max Meyer, a 20-year-old University student, said “Ilhan keeping her seat is super important” after one of Samuels’ campaign supporters, Victor Martinez, said he is against abortion rights with exceptions for rape and incest.

Samuels has maintained his support for abortion rights.

Regardless of who they voted for, voters said they think voting in the primary is important.

Jakob Mcewan, a 21-year-old political science student at the University, said specific races that were most important to him were for governor and the 5th District, especially after the Court overturned Roe v. Wade. He said he also thinks COVID-19 is still an important issue.

“Seeing what’s happened over the past couple years in terms of politics in general has really made me realize the need for people to actually get involved and contribute what they think should be happening,” Meyer said. “Especially if that’s not currently happening.”

“I think [the primary] mostly just energized me to vote for some of the

Bella Carpentier, Maia Irvin and Olivia Stevens contributed to this article.

MN Daily NEWS

2022 Election Guide

Primary results are in

for the DFL candidacy.

In the GOP primary, Kim Crockett won against Erik van Mechelen.

Crocket has won about 63% of the votes and will go up against Simon in November.

Rep. Ilhan Omar defeated Don Samuels in a narrow race, and Walz and Jensen both won the DLF and GOP governor primaries.

By The Minnesota Daily News Staff, Aug. 9

Minnesota Primary results trickled in throughout Tuesday evening, with some elections already being called while others still wait on results.

Fifth Congressional District Rep. Ilhan Omar narrowly defeated former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels for 5th Congressional District representative.

Omar received about 50% of the votes and Samuels received about 48%. Omar has been the district’s representative since 2019.

“Tonight’s victory is a testament to how much our district believes in the collective values we are fighting for and how much they’re willing to do to help us overcome defeat,” Omar said in a statement Tuesday night after her win. “This win is for them and everyone who still believes that hate, division and regression will not be the legacy of the Fifth.”

Omar said at a media event in Dinkytown Tuesday night that she and her team are “excited” and thanked her constituents who voted for her.

“We’re honored and humbled that they come out and put their trust in us and that they continue to defend our progressive values,” Omar said.

At an election party held by Samuels on Tuesday night, Samuels and his campaign staff said they were feeling optimistic about the outcome of the race.

“From what we can see we’re doing much, much better than the last challenger did on the individual precinct level,” Joe Randinovich, Samuels’ campaign manager, said.

At an election party Tuesday night, Samuels addressed the crowd to

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Rep. Ilhan Omar in Dinkytown prior to election night results on Aug. 9.

(Maia Irvin / Minnesota Daily)

concede his loss, saying he was proud to “have come so close” taking on a “goliath” of a force.

“This was supposed to be unwinnable,” Samuels said. “Much of the challenge we had getting early support was that nobody thought that we could win.”

Cicely Davis, GOP frontrunner for the Fifth District, won the Republican primary with about 48% of the votes.

The runner-up, Royce White, won about 37% of the votes.

Omar will now run against Davis in the midterm election on Nov. 8.

Minnesota’s 5th District has not had a republican representative since the ‘60s.

Governor and Lieutenant Governor In the DFL primary, incumbent Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan ran against Ole Savior and Julia Parker.

Walz and Flanagan won with about 96% of the votes.

Walz sent out a press release after he was declared the DFL nominee.

Reproductive freedom, paid family leave, funding for education, voting rights and protections for LGBTQ+ youth are all platforms that Walz will be running on in November’s election.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the strides we made working through the unprecedented challenges of the past three years. But Minnesotans know better than to let up before the job is

done,” Walz wrote in the press release.

“As we head into the general election tomorrow, the real work starts.”

Scott Jensen and Matt Birk were the frontrunners for the GOP primary and won with about 89% of the votes. They went up against Joyce Lynn Lacey and Kent Edwards as well as Bob “Again” Carney Jr. and Captain Jack Sparrow.

Jensen and Birk have made headlines recently about their opposition to abortion rights, especially after Birk’s comments about abortion and women at a National Right to Life conference in Georgia in June.

Walz released a statement in June saying abortion will remain legal in Minnesota under his leadership. Voters near the University of Minnesota said on Tuesday that protecting reproductive rights is one of their top issues.

Walz and Flanagan will run against Jensen and Birk in the November election. The two pairs will also run against James McCaskel and David Sandbeck from the Legal Marijuana Now Party as well as Steve Patterson and Matt Huff from the GrassrootsLegalize Cannabis Party.

Secretary of State Steven Simon, the incumbent and DFL candidate, won his side of the primary with about 73% of the votes.

Simon went up against Steve Carlson

Attorney General The incumbent for attorney general was Keith Ellison, who won the DFL primary with about 89% of the votes so far. Ellison ran against Bill Dahn.

Jim Schultz won the GOP primary for attorney general with about 53% of the votes, running against Doug Wardlow and Sharon Anderson.

Ellison and Schultz will be running against each other on the November ballot.

County Sheriff There were three candidates in the nonpartisan Hennepin County sheriff race. David Hutchinson, the county’s sheriff did not run for reelection after announcing a leave of absence in May. Hutchinson crashed his county-owned SUV in December while his bloodalcohol level was 0.13%.

Dawanna Witt won the county sheriff primary with 57% of the votes.

Witt ran against Joseph Banks and Jai Hanson and will run against Banks, who won 22% of the votes, again in the November election for the county sheriff seat.

County Attorney There were seven candidates running for the nonpartisan Hennepin County Attorney race. Mary Moriarty won the race with about 36% of the votes. Moriarty will go up against Martha Holton Dimick, who won about 18% of the votes, again in the November election.

Special election in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District Along with the primary election, Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District had a special election for the district’s U.S. representative. The district’s previous representative, Jim Hagedorn (GOP), died in February after battling kidney cancer.

Brad Finstad won the special election with 51% of the vote...

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Election Guide 2022

Abortion

MN Daily NEWS

Police and public safety

2022 Midterm Election

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Presidential Election and community calls for public safety reform, there are several big issues for candidates to face in this year’s midterms.

Student Debt

Inflation

MN Daily NEWS

How to register to vote for the midterms Registering to vote can be tricky as a college student.

Follow these guidelines to make sure you’re able to vote in November.

By Kara Savage, Sept. 15 ksavage@mndaily.com

Election day is coming up on Nov. 8, and in order to cast a ballot, students must be registered to vote in the

2022 Election Guide

district they want to vote in. Here’s how students can check their registration status and register to vote, either before or on election day.

To vote in the general election, students must check their registration status, eligibility and determine their residency. Students can check if they have previously registered to vote by going to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

Students from Minnesota that are not already registered in Minneapolis and want to vote in elections taking place around the University of Minnesota area have to change their residency status to their Minneapolis address before voting.

Out-of-state students can vote in Minneapolis if they can prove they have lived in Minnesota for at least 20 days. These students can also pre-register or complete same-day registration at their polling location when they go to cast their ballot.

To pre-register to vote before election day, students can go to mnvotes.org.

Students will need to fill out an online form with their name, date of birth, Minneapolis address, email address and a state identification number from a driver’s license or their social security number.

Students can register to vote on election day at their polling location with proof of residency. Residency can be proven by providing posted mail

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(Sarah Mai / The Minnesota Daily)

with the resident’s name on it, a lease agreement, drivers license, utility bill or any official documents with the resident’s name and address on it.

10 Election Guide 2022

MN Daily NEWS

Polling Place Guide Find your polling location if you are a Minneapolis resident.

(Mary Ellen RItter / Minnesota Daily)

MN Daily NEWS

2022 Election Guide 11

Where do I vote?

There are six different polling places around the University of Minnesota East and West Bank campuses. Here’s where to find yours.

Sanford, 17th Avenue, Yudof, Comstock, and Wilkins halls, Keeler Apartments and Fraternity Row Residents living in these residential halls and between the Mississippi River, 15th Avenue, parts of Southeast Oak Street, University Avenue and Harvard Street. will vote at the Weisman Art Museum. This area includes most of the East Bank campus, except for some areas east of Superblock, which would vote at Grace University Lutheran Church.

By Kara Savage ksavage@mndaily.com

Superblock and Stadium Village

Cedar-Riverside and Middlebrook Hall Residents living in Cedar-Riverside between Augsburg University and Interstate 35W and east of the West Bank light rail station will vote at Augsburg University Christensen Center. This includes students living in Middlebrook Hall.

Students living in the dorms located on Superblock — Centennial Hall, Frontier Hall, Pioneer Hall and Territorial Hall — and residents in Stadium Village between Washington Avenue and Interstate 94 and Harvard Street Southeast through Huron Blvd. will vote at Grace University Lutheran Church.

Southeast Como Residents of the Southeast Como neighborhood will vote at Van Cleve Recreation Center on 15th Avenue Southeast. This includes all residents living between the Union Pacific train tracks and Interstate 35W and Highway 280 through Como Avenue Southeast.

Dinkytown Students in Dinkytown living between University Avenue SE and the Union Pacific train tracks past 8th Street Southeast and from Interstate 35W to 15th Avenue Southeast will be able to vote at University Lutheran Church of Hope.

This includes residents living in apartment buildings such as the Marshall, the Bridges, Floco Fusion, the Venue and the Doyle.

Marcy Holmes Marcy Holmes residents living on the west side of Interstate 35W through 4th Avenue Southeast and from the Mississippi River through East Hennepin Avenue can cast their ballots at the First Congregational Church of MN on 8th Street.

Bailey Hall and St. Paul Campus The polling location for students living in Bailey Hall or near the St. Paul campus on the west side of Highway 280 will be Falcon Heights City Hall located along Larpenteur Avenue just a few blocks west of campus.

12 Election Guide 2022

MN Daily NEWS

Big issues for 2022 midterms

residents began advocating for public safety and policing reforms.

Omar condemned the police’s use of force against protesters after Floyd’s murder, and in August, supported legislation to dispatch mental health professionals when responding to mental health crisis calls. In a 2021 interview with Fox News, Davis said Omar “emboldens criminals” and said if elected, she will work to rebuild and support police departments to reduce crime.

Where candidates stand on some of voters’ biggest issues.

By Devlin Epding, Oct. 15 depding@mndaily.com

In 2018, 40% of U.S. college students voted in the midterms. Leading up to the Nov. 8 election, more than 300 voters near the University of Minnesota have already cast their ballots.

Here are some of the issues voters care about this year.

Abortion in the wake of Dobbs The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, leaving abortion access a state decision. The ruling sparked nationwide protests and caused abortion to become a key issue for many candidates in the midterm election.

Minnesota is set to become a sanctuary state for abortion healthcare, with legislators in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa looking to ban or restrict abortions. A 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court decision protects abortion in Minnesota, but legislators could still limit its accessibility.

“Now, with every election, abortion is on the ballot,” said Emily Bisek, vice president of strategic communications for Planned Parenthood North Central States. “Every election will determine who has power over our bodies and who has control over our healthcare.”

Governors have the power to approve or veto abortion bills passed

by Minnesota’s legislature. DFL incumbent Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order in June to protect out-of-state abortion seekers and said he aims to protect abortion access if reelected in November.

GOP nominee and former state senator Scott Jensen has gone back and forth on his abortion stance through his campaign, initially supporting different versions of an abortion ban.

Jensen has more recently said abortion is a constitutionally protected right in Minnesota and highlighted the potential for a pro-life movement in the state.

The U.S. House of Representatives creates and votes on national abortion laws. Incumbent DFL candidate for the Fifth District, which represents the University area, Rep. Ilhan Omar voted to approve a House bill in July to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law.

GOP candidate Cicely Davis has been quieter about her stance on abortion compared to Omar. She told the Star Tribune in September she respects all life from conception until death and that abortion is protected in Minnesota.

Cost of living The Consumer Price Index, which measures average product price increase over time, measured a 7.4% increase in the Twin Cities in 2022.

The increases have affected food, gas, housing and tuition.

In his 2022 state budget proposal, Walz proposed lowering taxes for some middle class families and spending roughly $2 billion to distribute checks to Minnesotans. Jensen, in contrast, wants to lower taxes for all residents and deregulate permits to encourage

(Ellen Schmidt / Minnesota Daily)

business growth, according to his website.

In the House, Omar voted to approve the Inflation Reduction Act in August and said she supports expanding student debt relief to all borrowers and guaranteeing tuition-free public colleges. Davis, on her campaign website, said she supports combating inflation by reducing government spending and lowering taxes for residents.

Members of the State Legislature elect and appoint candidates to serve on the University’s Board of Regents. The governor appoints regents if there is an unexpected vacancy.

On his campaign website, DFL incumbent Attorney General Keith Ellison said he worked with law enforcement to reduce deadly-force encounters and will work to review potential wrongful convictions if reelected. GOP opponent Jim Schultz said if elected, he will prosecute criminals and support funding police departments.

In a nonpartisan election for Hennepin County sheriff, Dawanna Witt said if elected, she will target violent crime and support local police departments, according to her website. Witt’s priorities include recruiting additional officers and providing programs for substance abuse and mental health support.

The Board is made up of 12 members serving staggered six-year terms, one from each Congressional district and four from the state at large. While serving on the Board, regents create a vision for the University and vote on, among other things, tuition prices.

Joseph Banks is running against Witt. According to his website, Banks is advocating for police reform, including finding alternatives to use of force, encouraging police diversity, expanding community relations and conducting transparent investigations of law enforcement.

“As a campus community…we have more power and more say to move things forward in whatever direction we want them to move if we participate in processes like this; if we vote and if we show up,” Undergraduate Student Government campaign co-chair Carter Yost said.

Kathryn Pearson is a professor specializing in American politics at the University. In a midterm year where she is expecting close races in Minnesota, Pearson said legislators tend to listen to whoever turns out to vote.

Public safety and policing After former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd in 2020, many Twin Cities and Minnesota

“Voting is critically important, and legislators look at what turnout is like at the University of Minnesota, how engaged students are, it matters,” Pearson said.

MN Daily NEWS

2022 Election Guide 13

A breakdown of the 2022 midterm election ballot What is on the ballot this year?

By Kara Savage, Oct. 12 ksavage@mndaily.com

Midterm elections are around the corner on Nov. 8; here’s what voters can expect to see on their ballots.

Gubernatorial Race The DFL candidates running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota are incumbents Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

The Republican candidates running against Walz and Flanagan are Scott Jensen and his running mate Matt Birk.

U.S. House of Representatives – District 5 Representatives are elected for a twoyear term and serve in the U.S House of Representatives. Each representative represents a different congressional district to introduce bills and resolutions, along with other duties.

Running to represent District 5, which includes the University of Minnesota campus, are DFL incumbent Ilhan Omar and Republican candidate Cicely Davis.

State Senator – District 60 State senators represent a certain district and introduce bills and resolutions in the Minnesota Senate.

District 60’s current senator, Kari Dziedzic (DFL), is running unopposed.

Secretary of College Democrats at the University Abdinasir Nourkadi, 19, fills out his absentee ballot on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, at Coffman Memorial Union. (Tony Saunders / Minnesota Daily)

State Representative – District 60B State representatives represent a certain district and introduce bills and resolutions in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Incumbent Mohamud Noor (DFL) is running unopposed.

Secretary of State The secretary of state’s role is the chief of elections, meaning they operate the statewide voter registration system, among other election duties. They also help Minnesota business owners start and run their businesses.

This term’s candidates are Republican Kim Crockett and incumbent Steve Simon (DFL).

Attorney General The attorney general serves as chief legal officer and represents Minnesota in state and federal court.

DFL incumbent Keith Ellison is running for reelection against GOP nominee Jim Schultz.

State Auditor State auditors are the state’s financial watchdogs. They oversee approximately $60 million in local government spending.

County Sheriff The Hennepin County Sheriff manages the county jail, provides security to the district court and creates initiatives to stay in line with the office’s mandate of “keep and preserve the peace of the community,” according to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office website.

This term’s candidates are Republican Ryan Wilson and current DFL State Auditor Julie Blaha.

This year’s candidates are Joseph Banks and Dawanna Witt. This is a nonpartisan election.

County Commissioner – District 4 County commissioners ensure that citizen concerns are addressed and requirements from the state and federal governments are fulfilled in their county.

County Attorney County attorneys hold the most power in the criminal legal system because they can influence the community’s views on critical issues of justice and rights, according to the Minneapolis Foundation. The attorney primarily prosecutes felony crimes.

Angela Conley is the current county commissioner for District 4 and is running unopposed.

This term’s candidates are Mary Moriarty and Martha Holton Dimick.

This is a nonpartisan election.

14 Election Guide 2022

Q&A with Gov. Tim Walz The DFL incumbent candidate for governor touched on abortion access, public safety and student debt relief.

By Alex Steil asteil@mndaily.com

Gov. Tim Walz is running for reelection for Minnesota’s governor.

The former teacher was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 2006 before being elected to the state’s highest office in 2018.

A member of the DemocraticFarmer-Labor (DFL) party, Walz is running a reelection campaign focused on investing in the state and funding state education. During his term as governor, he and his cabinet navigated the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the riots that occurred in May 2020 after former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd.

After the Supreme Court decision in June that overturned Roe v. Wade, Walz signed an executive order that offered legal protection to those coming in from out of state seeking abortion care; a state Supreme Court decision, Doe v. Gomez, found abortion is a constitutionally protected right in Minnesota.

In recent weeks, Scott Jensen, the Republican candidate for governor, has lambasted Walz for the controversy surrounding Feeding Our Future, a hunger non-profit accused by the Department of Justice of accepting nearly $250 million in fraudulent funds. A judge in Ramsey County published a press release stating, even after the Department of Education stopped payments and had internally flagged the organization, the administration continued to make payments to the group.

Walz answered all questions from

MN Daily NEWS the Minnesota Daily via email.

One of Dr. Jensen’s main criticisms of your time in office was your COVID response. In hindsight, would you have done anything differently? Do you feel his characterizations are accurate?

“Minnesota’s response to COVID has been recognized as one of the best in the country. We have lower death rates than our surrounding states, and we also have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation.

There are always things you wish you could do differently, but the data show that Minnesota led a strong, balanced

response using the best information we had at the time to protect lives and livelihoods.

My opponent, on the other hand, has undermined efforts to save lives and get people vaccinated at every opportunity. He has falsely claimed that the COVID vaccine has caused 10,000 deaths, sued to prevent 12 to 15-year-olds from getting the vaccine and promoted disproven COVID treatments like Ivermectin. He can’t be trusted to tell the truth about the pandemic.”

Abortion is top of mind in this election. Beyond Minnesota’s Supreme Court decision Doe v.

Gomez, would you advocate further for any abortion protections?

“After Roe v. Wade was overturned, I issued an executive order to protect people who come to Minnesota for reproductive health care from legal repercussions in anti-choice states. The order prevents state law enforcement agencies from coordinating with anti-abortion states to extradite and prosecute women who come here for reproductive health care.

In my second term, I will fight to ensure that a woman’s right to choose remains protected in Minnesota. My opponent has repeatedly said he would ban abortion – even in cases of rape

Walz has recently come under scrutiny for how his administration handled the Feeding Our Future fraud case. Photo courtesy of the Walz-Flanagan 2022 campaign.

MN Daily NEWS

2022 Election Guide 15

and incest. That will not happen on my watch.”

President Gabel said at the Sept.

8 Board of Regents meeting that, out of 65 officers, the University of Minnesota Police Department is still short 15. In your proposed supplemental budget last year, you did not include any money for the University’s public safety budget. Even after your recent announcement with State Patrol officers and UMPD, would you do anything different this legislative session?

“Executing the partnership between the State Patrol and UMPD will be a high priority for our administration. By assisting with patrols and bolstering law enforcement capacity in the area, we can help address the safety concerns near campus. I also proposed a plan that would have provided hundreds of millions of dollars to local police departments across the state, including in the Twin Cities.

Addressing safety concerns is an interagency effort, so strengthening local police departments would help UMPD too.

Unfortunately, my opponent successfully encouraged Senate Republicans to walk away from a bipartisan deal that would have provided hundreds of millions for public safety.”

The Board of Regents, in the last year, has been criticized by students for not making significant decisions with their input. When vacancies appear, what criteria would you use to appoint future regents?

“Ordinarily, legislators fill vacancies on the Board of Regents, not governors. But due to unusual circumstances, I have appointed two, including the first Native person to ever serve on the board. My goal is to find appointees who will do a good job of ensuring that all voices – including student voices – are represented when decisions are made.”

Walz’s running mate for lieutenant governor is Peggy Flanagan. Flanagan is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She is Minnesota’s first Native American lieutenant governor.

Would you approve any form of state student debt relief or help to make public education in the state cheaper across all fields (apprenticeships, community colleges, public universities, etc.)?

“I was pleased to hear that the Biden Administration was forgiving $10,000 to $20,000 of student debt, but we know that will only help so many Minnesotans. What we need to do now is come together to pass a bill to fix the law that – if left unchanged – will make that debt relief taxable for the purposes of Minnesota state taxes. My opponent has said he does not support this common-sense fix.

We’ve also increased our state financial aid grants across the spectrum of income categories and added funding for 2,700 new students.

And our administration helped pave the way for the University of Minnesota and Augsburg to offer tuition and fee waivers for Native students. The state’s Minnesota Indian Scholarship is also now fully funded with no waiting list, and eligibility has been expanded to include all citizens that Tribal nations and Canadian First Nations recognize.

Finally, just this month, we created ‘Direct Admissions Minnesota’ to authorize the direct admission of qualified public high school seniors to participating Minnesota colleges

Portrait of Peggy Flanagan. Photo courtesy of the Walz-Flanagan 2022 campaign.

and universities without them having to first formally apply. The new program will address enrollment disparities and ensure that students have the opportunity for admittance to postsecondary institutions.”

Feeding Our Future has also been used as campaign fodder.

Regardless of the Judge’s order and your administration’s interpretation of such, what protections would you put in place to ensure an instance like this does not happen again?

“This kind of criminal fraud is completely unacceptable, and the people who carried out this scheme

will go to prison. Federal regulations that govern these kinds of programs were relaxed early in the pandemic, which made it much easier for this kind of scheme to succeed. Those regulations are now back in place, which will go a long way toward preventing fraud of this scale and nature from happening again. But we need to do more, which is why we’re also working at a state level to tighten processes and make improvements going forward. I’m committed to rooting out fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars.”

This interiview has been edited for clarity and length.

16 Election Guide 2022

MN Daily NEWS

Q&A with gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen The GOP candidate for governor and former state senator talked about public safety, abortion and the state’s COVID-19 response.

By Alex Steil asteil@mndaily.com

Former Gopher and state senator Scott Jensen is the Republican nominee running to be Minnesota’s next governor in the Nov. 8 election.

Jensen called the Minnesota Daily on Oct. 3 to talk about a range of election issues facing students, from public safety to abortion.

Since the June Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the University of Minnesota has seen several demonstrations from students protesting the decision. Jensen has shifted his stance on abortion, originally being against it in almost all cases, but recently said the right is Constitutionally protected in Minnesota and any change should come from the people.

Jensen’s running mate is former football player Matt Birk. Birk came under fire over the summer for comments he made in June at a National Right to Life conference about abortion rights and women working.

Jensen served in the Minnesota Senate for four years and rose to prominence in conservative spheres during the COVID-19 pandemic for publicly speculating how case numbers were being recorded.

Jensen, a doctor, has been accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 on multiple occasions.

He announced his run for governor in March 2021, two months after retiring from the Senate.

The GOP nominee has repeatedly

Jensen has been criticized for his stances on abortion and COVID-19 safety protocols. Photo courtesy of Scott Jensen Flickr photostream.

attacked incumbent Gov. Tim Walz’s record on crime, citing the riots that occurred in May 2020 after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd.

Hennepin County experienced on average a 20.3% increase in violent crime in 2021 between four metrics of violent crime, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s Uniform Crime Report.

Abortion access, of course, is top of mind for many voters, including students. While you’ve most recently said that it is a Constitutional right, if a bill comes before your desk or there is gubernatorial action required for a legal act, how will you engage with your constituents before making that decision?

“Abortion clearly is not on the ballot in November. Tim Walz has said on multiple social media posts, as has

Keith Ellison, and I agree with both of them there: no governor can change that. [Abortion] is a constitutionally protected right for all women … The bottom line is the governor has the responsibility to make certain that all laws are enforced, and those laws come through the legislative branch or through the judiciary branch. And that’s exactly what I will do.

And the law that provides constitutional protection for all women is clearly in place, it’s been litigated already. I would enforce the law as the [Minnesota] Supreme Court has passed their decision. If there’s going to be any change, that would have to be by constitutional ballot and that would be up to the people in Minnesota, and the governor has no role in that. The governor does not veto that, he does not sign that, it’s entirely outside the governor’s purview.

I think we right now are in a place where I think the pro-life movement has an opportunity, really stand up for

women and say, ‘Listen, this is a shared responsibility.’ The whole concept of family planning [and] anticipating pregnancies, we should do things like other countries in Europe have done.

We should have birth control pills over the counter. We should put a ceiling cap on them, perhaps $10 per month. We should have available and ready access to Plan B or the morningafter pill. We should have paid maternity leave for women who have children. We should have streamlining of adoption. So that if parents decide to go in that direction, they know that there’s support. We should have harsher penalties for crimes that target women such as rape and robbery and carjacking. This is an opportunity for the pro-life movement to say we are going to stand up for women and try to truly protect and support them.”

You’ve criticized Walz’s COVID response. As of now, we’re beyond a declared state of emergency and

MN Daily NEWS beyond a state COVID response.

Would you consider making any changes to the power of a governor to prevent a similar situation from occurring?

“Defining what an emergency is, or how long a single person can retain emperor-like powers should not be left to the person who holds the powers.

What we saw here was a governor who was willing to take emergency powers and use them for political gain. That means we can never let this happen again; we need to rewrite emergency powers.

It should not be that the House of Representatives and the Senate have to both veto emergency powers. It should be that the House and the Senate both have to reaffirm the power every span of time being requested. And with each interval being requested, it should be a greater challenge to get that approved. So, in the initial phase of an emergency, or possible emergency, it should be both the House and the Senate approving it. But if there’s another increment of time requested, there should probably be a supermajority required.

I’m convinced that senators and representatives, Republicans or Democrats will not quibble about whether something is an emergency— if we’re facing a true emergency. If we have a real emergency…I do not believe that legislators will turn that into a political bickering session. But I do think an individual will, and we’ve seen it play out in real-time: [Walz] abused emergency powers for political gain and that should never happen again.”

Recently, the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD) started to rebuild their relationship after severing it in 2020, yet UMPD said they are still nearly 15 officers (of 65) short. How will you as governor help local police departments like ours to respond to rising crime?

“We absolutely have to put more cops on the street. If you don’t feel

2022 Election Guide 17 safe, then you aren’t safe. The same way that we’ve got moms and dads in neighborhoods wanting to be able to let their kids play in the front yard, we need to ensure that those communities are safe…I think part of the issue is always where the dollar is being deployed. There’s been an unfortunate belittling of the word ‘police’ from the governor’s office and that has to stop.

The bully pulpit of the governor is a powerful tool to elevate the various issues that face a society. I don’t think that that’s been used. I would say we need more cops on the street corner.

We need a restorative justice program, such as someone that thinks that they can deface a building that isn’t theirs, and that they’re going to be held responsible for the repair. If they wanted to base bridges and put graffiti up there that, frankly, is offensive to so many people. That’s going to be their responsibility. I think we need to use incarceration as a tool for repeat violent felons. And I think we also need to understand that mandated minimum sentences mean just mandated minimum sentencing. And that’s what we need to enforce the law.”

important that the students feel that their voice is not a token voice, but it’s a real voice. And if that means that we create at-large, or two at-large positions, to make certain that the student voice is being represented, then so be it.”

What would you say to students who aren’t sure about supporting you?

“I think students have a strong inclination toward a refreshing, noholds-barred approach to the problems of the day. We need young people more involved in the political process.

We need commissioners who are in their 20’s and 30’s. We need the Gen Zs and the millennials at the table of

problem-solving. We haven’t done so well without them. I’m not, if you will, a career politician looking for a new career. I’m a 67-year-old family doctor who is really focused on solving problems. And I think young people are focused on solving problems.”

This interiview has been edited for clarity and length.

Jensen’s running mate for lieutenanat governor is Matt Birk. Birk is a former NFL football player and played for the Minnesota Vikings for 11 years, from 1998-2009.

Over the past year and with a variety of decisions, Regents have been criticized by students for making decisions without their input. What criteria would you look for in a regent so they serve the taxpayer and the students?

“I think, when you look at all the steps necessary for a regent to be designated, who will be a regent, you go through the legislature…And I think too often, it’s partisan in nature.

Because of that, I think the students at the University oftentimes feel like their voice is secondary…We should de-politicize some of these positions, whether you’re talking about the Board of Regents, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and even the Met Council composition. I think we’ve allowed so much of this to be politicized and then we wonder why the everyday person is so frustrated.

I spent so much time at the University—I was there from basically 1973 to 1981—and I think it’s critically

Portrait of Matt Birk. Photo courtesy of Scott Jensen Flickr photostream.

18 Election Guide 2022

MN Daily NEWS

Bernie Sanders and other politicians rally for Keith Ellison on campus

vote in this year’s election.

“What is on the line,” Ellison said, “ is whether or not these United States, and starting in Minnesota, will remain a democratic, multiracial society that respects everyone’s rights.”

Following Ellison, Sanders walked on-stage while the crowd chanted his name. Sanders expressed his support for Ellison’s campaign and further elaborated on issues other speakers talked about, such as universal healthcare.

The rally held at the University of Minnesota aimed to motivate students to vote for Ellison in the midterms.

“We are the only major country on earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people,” Sanders said.

By Ainsley Brown and Amelia Roessler, Oct. 12 abrown@mndaily.com aroessler@mndaily.com

About 1,500 University of Minnesota students and community members attended a rally at Northrop Auditorium Friday to listen to key democratic progressive speakers speak in support of Attorney General Keith Ellison’s reelection campaign.

Speakers touched on abortion, student loan debt and climate change. (Ainsley Brown / Minnesota Daily)

drums.

Organized by the Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) and the Ellison campaign, those who spoke at the event in support of Ellison included U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Doors to the auditorium opened at noon and most seats were filled by a responsive and energetic audience by the time the event started at 1 p.m.

Audience members included University first-year student Ashley Spaulding, who came to learn more about local politics as an out-of-state student.

“I’m not from Minnesota, but I want to know who’s sticking up for me,” Spaulding said. “I want to make sure that I’m being heard.”

Photo of Keith Ellison. (Kathryn Chlystek / Minnesota Daily)

Singer-songwriter and DFL-endorsed candidate for the state House of Representatives María Isa ignited energy within the crowd while on stage with a musical performance that featured her rapping and playing latin

Afterward, local and national politicians got up to make their case for voting in this year’s midterm elections on Nov. 8.

“We are the voter engine of Minnesota.” Omar said. “I need all of you to take that seriously.”

Abortion access and student loan debt were addressed by several of the speakers, including Ellison. State Rep. Kaohly Vang Her spoke about her personal experience having an ectopic pregnancy when she was a recent college graduate and stressed the importance of this year’s election for protecting access to reproductive healthcare in the state.

“I will be damned if I sit by and not fight as hard for the future of all women and people with uteruses,” Her said.

Ellison expanded on climate change, crime and gun control, and continued to encourage attendees to go out and

Sanders ended his speech by stating his goal of “bringing all of our people together around an agenda that says we’re going to create a nation and a government in which all of our people have a good standard of living.”

Members of the crowd appeared talkative and excited once the rally ended. First-year student Trystan Schultz and Spaulding said they were happy to see issues they were passionate about addressed during the rally.

“I had a blast,” Schultz said as he left the auditorium.

“It was nice to hear from them instead of reading what they said,” Spaulding said.

Nicole Donoso said she felt motivated to get out and vote after listening to the speakers and encouraged others to do so as well.

“It’s just so nice to feel energized with young people,” Donoso said. “We love Bernie, and we wanted to see him.”

Minnesota governor, attorney general, secretary of state and all seats in the state legislature will be on the ballot this year. You can register to vote on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.

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