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| Fierce Minnesota midterm race will reveal strength of Trump support | Fierce Minnesota midterm race will reveal strength of Trump support |
| (30 days later) | |
| Donald Trump will go on the offensive on Wednesday. As the midterm elections approach, and amid mounting controversy over the policy of separating immigrant families at the border, the president will show up in Duluth, Minnesota. | Donald Trump will go on the offensive on Wednesday. As the midterm elections approach, and amid mounting controversy over the policy of separating immigrant families at the border, the president will show up in Duluth, Minnesota. |
| His rally, in a seat held by a retiring Democrat, Rick Nolan, will be an opportunity for the president to tout his record in a blue-collar district he won by 15% in 2016. | His rally, in a seat held by a retiring Democrat, Rick Nolan, will be an opportunity for the president to tout his record in a blue-collar district he won by 15% in 2016. |
| 'Tender age' shelters for children stoke outrage as Trump turns to Congress – live | 'Tender age' shelters for children stoke outrage as Trump turns to Congress – live |
| North-east Minnesota was once a Democratic bastion. For decades, the ore-miners of the Iron Range counties and the steelworkers of Duluth voted for candidates like Hubert Humphrey and Paul Wellstone. But the steelworks closed and automation reduced jobs in the mines. And voters discovered Trump. | North-east Minnesota was once a Democratic bastion. For decades, the ore-miners of the Iron Range counties and the steelworkers of Duluth voted for candidates like Hubert Humphrey and Paul Wellstone. But the steelworks closed and automation reduced jobs in the mines. And voters discovered Trump. |
| His victory was historic. In one Iron Range county, he was the first Republican presidential candidate to win since Herbert Hoover. | His victory was historic. In one Iron Range county, he was the first Republican presidential candidate to win since Herbert Hoover. |
| But in the House, voters still returned Nolan, an ardent liberal who supported single-payer healthcare and introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, the supreme court decision that removed limits on corporate spending on political campaigns. | But in the House, voters still returned Nolan, an ardent liberal who supported single-payer healthcare and introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, the supreme court decision that removed limits on corporate spending on political campaigns. |
| Nolan’s retirement has opened up a competitive race. Pete Stauber, whose campaign did not make him available to the Guardian for questions, will be the Republican candidate. A number of Democrats are competing to face him. The top two candidates are Joe Radinovich, a 32-year-old former state representative who was campaign manager for Nolan in 2016, and state representative Jason Metsa. | Nolan’s retirement has opened up a competitive race. Pete Stauber, whose campaign did not make him available to the Guardian for questions, will be the Republican candidate. A number of Democrats are competing to face him. The top two candidates are Joe Radinovich, a 32-year-old former state representative who was campaign manager for Nolan in 2016, and state representative Jason Metsa. |
| Speaking to the Guardian in a garage outside a lakeside house party held to promote campaign finance reform, Radinovich noted that Minnesota has long been a political outlier for Democrats. | Speaking to the Guardian in a garage outside a lakeside house party held to promote campaign finance reform, Radinovich noted that Minnesota has long been a political outlier for Democrats. |
| “If you look at trend lines in a lot of places outside Minnesota,” he said, “we’ve retained rural seats a lot longer than other states have.” But Trump, he said, had “put his finger on the pain and anxiety so many working people are facing” as a result of dislocations due to “technology and mechanization displacing people”. | “If you look at trend lines in a lot of places outside Minnesota,” he said, “we’ve retained rural seats a lot longer than other states have.” But Trump, he said, had “put his finger on the pain and anxiety so many working people are facing” as a result of dislocations due to “technology and mechanization displacing people”. |
| Nolan’s 2016 campaign, he said, focused on three simple issues: “Protect and preserve social security, fight back against job-killing trade deals and end corrupting influence of secret money in our political system.” | Nolan’s 2016 campaign, he said, focused on three simple issues: “Protect and preserve social security, fight back against job-killing trade deals and end corrupting influence of secret money in our political system.” |
| This message, Radinovich said, was “very clear and was where the people were at”. Trump “at some level checked some of those boxes too”, he said. | This message, Radinovich said, was “very clear and was where the people were at”. Trump “at some level checked some of those boxes too”, he said. |
| “He did say publicly he wasn’t going to take away their social security and Medicare, [he said he would] kill [the Trans-Pacific Partnership] and renegotiate [the North American Free Trade Agreement] and … also said he was going to drain swamp, which is a very similar message to this.” | “He did say publicly he wasn’t going to take away their social security and Medicare, [he said he would] kill [the Trans-Pacific Partnership] and renegotiate [the North American Free Trade Agreement] and … also said he was going to drain swamp, which is a very similar message to this.” |
| Radinovich was echoed by Keith Ellison, a Twin Cities congressman and Democratic National Committee vice-chair who is now running for state attorney general. | Radinovich was echoed by Keith Ellison, a Twin Cities congressman and Democratic National Committee vice-chair who is now running for state attorney general. |
| He said Trump wooed voters with false promises and that the “folks who gave him the benefit of the doubt now have seen his lies”. Ellison pointed in particular to Trump’s statements on issues such as social security and trade. | He said Trump wooed voters with false promises and that the “folks who gave him the benefit of the doubt now have seen his lies”. Ellison pointed in particular to Trump’s statements on issues such as social security and trade. |
| “[Trump] said he was going to be fair and reasonable on trade,” he said, arguing that “so far he has done things that would provoke a trade war [and] increase prices of goods and [he has] not really done anything meaningful for Americans who are struggling with ill effects of trade.” | “[Trump] said he was going to be fair and reasonable on trade,” he said, arguing that “so far he has done things that would provoke a trade war [and] increase prices of goods and [he has] not really done anything meaningful for Americans who are struggling with ill effects of trade.” |
| Yet Trump also benefited from support in a neighboring rural district that is home to a strong streak of pro-gun and socially conservative opinion. Its longtime Democratic congressman, Jim Oberstar, was ardently pro-life. Radinovich lost his own re-election bid at state level in 2014 in part because of his support for same-sex marriage. | Yet Trump also benefited from support in a neighboring rural district that is home to a strong streak of pro-gun and socially conservative opinion. Its longtime Democratic congressman, Jim Oberstar, was ardently pro-life. Radinovich lost his own re-election bid at state level in 2014 in part because of his support for same-sex marriage. |
| Ron Britten, chair of St Louis county Republican party, said: “This whole area has been fairly conservative for many, many years but [has] been voting Democrats because they figured, ‘Well, Republicans wasn’t for the working man.’ | Ron Britten, chair of St Louis county Republican party, said: “This whole area has been fairly conservative for many, many years but [has] been voting Democrats because they figured, ‘Well, Republicans wasn’t for the working man.’ |
| “And now that Trump comes along, the Democrats aren’t for the working man. It’s simple.” | “And now that Trump comes along, the Democrats aren’t for the working man. It’s simple.” |
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