Teacher’s union fails spelling test on campaign mailing
Education Minnesota, the state's teacher's union, is always active during election season. The group runs TV ads calling for quality education, endorses candidates and sends out campaign mailings. The union's influence is broad and can sometimes tip close races.
This week, the union sent out a campaign mailing backing Democrat Laurie Halverson in House District 51B. Halverson is running against GOP Rep. Doug Wardlow in the Eagan District. Campaign mailings are common this time of year but this one stands out.
The reason?
The union that represents the state's 70,000 teachers and wants to ensure that "students receive the education and skills they need to compete in the 21st Century" misspelled Halverson's name.
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Republicans were quick to pounce on the mailing.
"Oh the irony, Education Minnesota sends out a mailer for a DFL Candidate and spells her name wrong," Tom Freeman wrote on Twitter. Freeman is working to elect Republicans to the Minnesota House.
Chris Williams, spokesman for Education Minnesota, acknowledged the mistake.
"We've apologized to Ms. Halverson for the typo on the mailing, but we stand by the overall message," said Williams in a written statement. "While Halverson supports increasing the state's investment in public education, her opponent has a track record of voting against the best interests of our students."