GOP, Dayton launch final-week messages
With a week until Election Day, the Republican Party of Minnesota today announced the launch of a seven-day media campaign critical of DFL Gov. Mark Dayton.
The campaign is titled “Stop the Incompetence. Stop Mark Dayton” and highlights seven issues that Republicans believe Dayton mishandled during the past four years. The list includes fairly familiar GOP lines of attack such as the Senate office building, MNsure and medical marijuana.
The ads do not mention Dayton's Republican challenger, Jeff Johnson, who has been trailing the incumbent in the polls throughout the campaign.
State GOP Chair Keith Downey said at a news conference that the party is trying to educate voters.
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“Voters need to consider the consequences of these leadership problems if continued in a second Dayton term, especially given the challenges in front of us,” Downey said.
Downey said the ads will be print, broadcast and social media. He did not provide details of the media buy.
For his own closing argument, Dayton is going positive. His campaign released its final TV ad of the campaign today. Titled "Rising," it highlights some of his accomplishments from the past four years.
The list includes job creation, all-day kindergarten funding and a freeze on college tuition.
Here's the Dayton ad: