Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party will be kicking of its 28-stop bus tour Thursday, but Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN-05) is conspicuously absent from the list of scheduled speakers.
In fact, Ellison is just one of two DFL candidates not scheduled for any stops on the tour. The only other candidate not scheduled to join the tour is Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), who has represented the mildly red district for 27 years while espousing pro-life and pro-Second Amendment views. As a “Blue Dog Democrat,” Peterson’s absence is likely attributed to his conservative-leaning voting record.
All seven other DFL congressional candidates will appear on the tour, as well as gubernatorial candidate Tim Walz and his running mate Peggy Flanagan. Both Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) are scheduled to join the DFL’s final get-out-the-vote effort along with Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon.
Even the DFL’s state auditor candidate, Julie Blaha will join her fellow Democrats for several stops on the tour, making Ellison the only major candidate, whose views also align with the DFL Party, not scheduled to make an appearance.
Earlier this month, rumors were circulating on social media that Ellison was also excluded from some DFL campaign door hangers.
But DFL Chairman Ken Martin claims that the DFL continues to stand by Ellison, and endorsed him for Minnesota attorney general despite the domestic-abuse allegations leveled against him.
“We support Keith Ellison. All of our candidates up and down the ballot have been campaigning with him,” Martin recently claimed.
“We support Keith Ellison… All of our candidates up and down the ballot have been campaigning with him.” – DFL Chairman @kenmartin73. Democrats are all in defending a candidate credibly accused of domestic assault who has repeatedly stood with cop killers and radicals. #mnleg
— MN Jobs Coalition (@MNJobsCoalition) October 27, 2018
The DFL’s 28-stop bus tour will kick off Thursday at the State Capitol and will conclude the Monday night before election day.
“Our volunteers and organizers have been working around the clock to elect DFLers up and down the ballot,” an event description for the tour states. “And now our candidates are joining us for our Get Out The Vote bus tour across Minnesota to help us sprint to the finish.”
(H/T: @kriers)
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
