Is Dean Johnson in trouble?

I was talking to a senate staffer this week who says DFL Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson is in for the fight of his political life on Tuesday. Johnson is locked in a primary battle with Michael Cruze, who Johnson claims Cruze is a GOP plant.

Nonetheless, there are several interest groups who are targeting Johnson. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life has endorsed Cruze and has sent out campaign literature on his behalf. They also ran this radio ad last week. It's a brutal ad that says:

"Today, your tax dollars were used to kill 12 unborn babies."

The ad shows the MCCL's unhappiness with Johnson. But they're not the only group. Opponents of same sex marriage say Johnson was the reason there wasn't a floor vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Supporters of a constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the state sales tax to the environment also say Johnson blocked a vote on their initiative as well.

What does this mean? Well, the staffer said Johnson is more concerned about the primary than the November election. Partly because Republicans may choose to cross over and vote for Cruze and partly because fewer voters turnout on primary day. I'm not sure Johnson loses but keep an eye on the returns in Senate District 13 on Tuesday night.

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