Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party candidate Dan Feehan is dodging questions about whether he would support Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) in a potential run for speaker if Democrats gain control of the House in November.
In a revealing interview with The Post Bulletin, Feehan, an Obama-admin alumnus, declined to comment on Pelosi’s fitness to serve as speaker.
“I’m running because we need a new generation in Congress. So I’m focusing, first and foremost, on getting the trust and support of Southern Minnesotans. I have not committed to anyone (for speaker),” he told The Bulletin.
As a St. Paul native and long-time D.C. resident, Feehan has his work cut out for him in winning over constituents in southern Minnesota. The Democrat just recently moved to Mankato before announcing his bid for Congress, prompting his opponents to criticize “the carpetbagger” for running for elected office so soon after returning from the nation’s capitol.
Feehan spoke favorably of Special Council Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but stopped short of calling for a Trump impeachment.
“I don’t know how I would vote. We have to see through the conclusion of the investigations,” he told The Bulletin, saying the investigation “was begun in good faith and continues in good faith and must continue in good faith.”
The DFL-backed candidate who served two tours in Iraq surprisingly claimed he supports the protests spreading across the NFL.
“As a military veteran, I take absolutely no offense in that because that’s the whole point: fighting for other’s freedom,” Feehan commented.
In an interview with another southern-based publication, Feehan told The Winona Daily News he is in favor of bringing universal health care to the state, which would likely be supported by DFL gubernatorial candidate Tim Walz.
“A lot of other countries have figured this out. At some point, we’re going to figure this out,” he said, withholding comments on the multiple domestic violence allegations leveled against Keith Ellison, who stepped down from his seat in Congress to run for Minnesota attorney general.
Ironically, Feehan posted an August 26 tweet to commemorate the “adoption of the 19th Amendment.”
“To honor the legacy of the women who created monumental change and the women who are still fighting for and demanding that our society be better, Team Feehan is sharing why we as Minnesotans are FeMNists [sic],” Feehan tweeted.
Feehan, who wants to hold five fewer debates than his opponent, will face off against Republican Jim Hagedorn in November’s election.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Emails tips to [email protected].
