Vice President Mike Pence plans to return to Minnesota for the second time in one month, highlighting the unusual importance of the consistently blue state for the 2018 elections.
On August 8, both Pence and President Trump visited Duluth, Minn. to campaign for Pete Stauber, a candidate for the state’s Eighth Congressional District who won last week’s primary.
Republican Party of Minnesota Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan announced Pence’s return in an August 20 press release, expressing her excitement to welcome him back.
“This election cycle, the future of our country and state are on the line and its a priority of the MN GOP to send more Republicans to Washington DC to support the President’s agenda,” Carnahan remarked.
She went on to point out the high-stakes nature of Minnesota for Republicans in the 2018 election, calling it an “election year unlike any we have seen since perhaps the late 1970s.”
“We look forward to supporting our current administration and carrying them through to the 2020 election,” she added.
As indicated by Carnahan’s statement, the state GOP has stood by the Trump administration on the campaign trail, perhaps explaining former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s upset loss to Jeff Johnson in the primaries. Pawlenty famously called Trump “unfit and unhinged,” while Johnson positioned himself as the Trump favorite, earning the president’s “total endorsement” after his primary victory.
Minnesota has two Senate seats, its governorship, and at least four competitive House seats up for grabs this election. As such, national Republicans are looking to Minnesota as an important battleground state.
Just Tuesday, it was revealed that Trump would be hitting the campaign trail for 40 days, likely including a stop in Minnesota.
