Razor-thin races, data center backlash, and voters remember Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
COMING UP … HOW SOME VOTERS HONOR VICTIMS KILLED DURING OPERATION METRO SURGE ... WHILE VOTERS UP NORTH SEND A MESSAGE ABOUT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY …
[JOHN RAMOS, DULUTH MONITOR: THE DATA CENTER WAS A HUGE FACTOR IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.]
BUT FIRST …
--KLOBUCHAR FIRST STATEMENTS--
MINNESOTANS ARE EXPECTED TO FILL AMY KLOBUCHAR’S U-S SENATE SEAT IN A SPECIAL ELECTION NEXT NOVEMBER.
UNTIL THEN... THE GOVERNOR CAN NAME A TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT.... TIM WALZ COULD DO THAT... OR KLOBUCHAR HERSELF... DEPENDING ON WHEN SHE RESIGNS.
KLOBUCHAR SAYS SHE WILL START DAY-ONE WITH AN AUDIT TO ROOT OUT FRAUD.
ON ELECTION NIGHT.. SHE ALSO PLEDGED TO REVIVE THE GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION THAT STALLED IN THE STATE HOUSE AFTER PASSING THE SENATE BACK IN MAY.
REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR NATHAN WESENBERG (WEESE EN BURG) OF LITTLE FALLS VOTED AGAINST IT.
THE MORNING AFTER THE ELECTION... ON SOCIAL MEDIA.. HE POSTED A PHOTO OF HIMSELF HOLDING A GUN... CLAIMING A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO OVERTHROW A TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT.
IN A FOLLOW-UP VIDEO STATEMENT... WESENBERG SAID HE WAS NOT THREATENING OR TRYING TO SCARE ANYONE SAYING THE ORIGINAL VIDEO WAS IN RESPONSE TO KLOBUCHAR'S PLEDGE TO REVIVE THE GUN BILL... ACCUSING DEMOCRATS OF WANTING TO TAKE AWAY HIS GUNS.
[SEN. NATHAN WESENBERG: THE DEMOCRATS TRIED TO DO IT THIS SPRING, AND WE’RE NOT LETTING THAT HAPPEN.]
WESENBERG HASN’T RESPONDED TO OUR CALL OR EMAIL REQUESTING AN INTERVIEW.
--ABDI DAISANE TAKES 14A IN ST CLOUD--
SAINT CLOUD AREA VOTERS FLIPPED A LONG-HELD REPUBLICAN HOUSE SEAT … ELECTING THEIR FIRST SOMALI AMERICAN STATE LAWMAKER.
[ABDI DAISANE: AT A TIME WHEN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY SOMALI AMERICANS, HAVE BEEN SINGLED OUT AND MADE TO FEEL AS THOUGH WE DO NOT BELONG HERE, YOU HAVE SENT A POWERFUL MESSAGE.]
ONCE CERTIFIED AND SWORN IN, D-F-L CANDIDATE ABDI DAISANE (Day-sanne) WILL REPRESENT HOUSE DISTRICT 14-A … AFTER LOSING THE SAME RACE TWO YEARS AGO.
HE SAYS HE WILL FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
--ILHAN OMAR WINS AGAIN--
AND... MINNEAPOLIS CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR WON REELECTION TUESDAY... DESPITE REPEATED ATTACKS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP AND A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION IN THE WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
THE DEMOCRAT WON A FIFTH TERM WITH ABOUT SEVENTY-SIX PERCENT OF THE VOTE.
IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE ELECTION… TRUMP CALLED FOR OMAR TO RETURN TO SOMALIA… AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION
OMAR DENIES WRONGDOING AND CALLS THE INVESTIGATION A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED INTIMIDATION TACTIC.
--TOO CLOSE TO CALL/RECOUNTS AROUND THE STATE/EVERY VOTE COUNTS--
THIS ELECTION BRINGS PROOF THAT EVERY VOTE COUNTS...
A SINGLE VOTE WOULD BREAK A TIE FOR A LOCAL CITY COUNCIL SEAT IN PINE ISLAND .. AND THERE ARE THREE LEGISLATIVE RACES TOO CLOSE TO CALL.
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL … IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT… D-F-L NEWCOMER JAKE JOHNSON LEADS INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN BRAD FINSTAD BY JUST 323 VOTES … LIKELY PROMPTING A RECOUNT.
IN MOORHEAD IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE …
REPUBLICAN AUSTIN PETERSON LEADS D-F-L SENATOR ROB KUPEC (COO PECK) BY JUST FOUR VOTES.
IN THE EAST METRO’S SENATE DISTRICT 33, REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR KARIN (CAR-IN) HOUSLEY (HOUSZ-LEE) LEADS D-F-L CHALLENGER NAT SMITH BY JUST 42 VOTES.
IN THE NORTH METRO… REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE NOLAN WEST LEADS D-F-L CHALLENGER AMANDA MATCHETT BY A MERE TWENTY-TWO VOTES..
THE THREE STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES QUALIFY FOR A TAXPAYER-FUNDED RECOUNT ...
ALL RESULTS ARE UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED... WHEN THE TRAILING CANDIDATES CAN REQUEST RECOUNTS.
AND ... IN PINE ISLAND JUST NORTH OF ROCHESTER ... A CITY COUNCIL RACE ENDED IN TIE!!
EACH CANDIDATE GOT 711 VOTES....
IF THE OFFICIAL COUNT STILL SHOWS A TIE AFTER CERTIFICATION ON NOVEMBER 19TH... … THE CITY PICKS THE WINNER AT RANDOM... BY A METHOD OF ITS OWN CHOOSING.. LIKE PULLING A NAME OUT OF A HAT!
--HERMANTOWN CITY COUNCIL--
AND.. IN HERMANTOWN... JUST DAYS AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED KEY AGREEMENTS FOR ITS GOOGLE DATA CENTER … VOTERS KICKED OUT A DATA CENTER SUPPORTER... AND ELECTED TWO OF THE PROJECT’S CRITICS TO THE COUNCIL.
OUR NEWSGATHERING PARTNER JOHN RAMOS WITH THE DULUTH MONITOR SAYS THE VOTE EXPOSED A GROWING GAP BETWEEN VOTERS AND CITY LEADERS.
[JOHN RAMOS, DULUTH MONITOR: FOR THE PAST YEAR PLUS, THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR HAVE BEEN UNANIMOUSLY APPROVING ACTIONS WHICH ARE OPPOSED BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR CITIZENS.]
IN NEARBY DULUTH … SAINT LOUIS COUNTY VOTERS ALSO OUSTED A COMMISSIONER … WHO SIGNED A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT ABOUT THE DATA CENTER AND CRITICIZED FOR HER LACK OF TRANSPARENCY WITH HER CONSTITUENTS.
--ALEX PRETTI AND RENEE GOOD MEMORIALS--
AND... AFTER CASTING THEIR BALLOTS... SOME VOTERS MADE MEANINGFUL GESTURES TO THE MEMORIES OF ALEX PRETTI AND RENEE GOOD ...
ON TUESDAY... HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PUT THEIR “I VOTED” STICKERS AT THE MEMORIALS FOR GOOD AND PRETTI IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS…LEAVING THEM ON SIGNS AND LIGHT POLES
FEDERAL AGENTS SHOT AND KILLED BOTH OF THEM DURING JANUARY’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN.
PRETTI’S PARENTS ISSUED A STATEMENT THANKING VOTERS FOR REMEMBERING THEIR SON.