New controversy stoked in suburban legislative race
A north suburban legislative race where accusations of candidate racism two months ago threw a reliable Republican seat in doubt burst back into view Friday because of a new cable TV ad criticizing the Democrat on the ballot.
House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, lashed out at major Minnesota companies and business groups for helping finance the late ad in a race where Republicans and their allies had earlier pulled back. The effort to elect Nolan West, a former GOP legislative staffer, had receded in September when his racially tinged social media posts became front-page news.
The sudden activity suggests the Blaine-area race is potentially vital to both DFL and Republican calculations toward a House majority. Republicans now have a 73-61 advantage, which includes the Blaine seat that incumbent Tim Sanders is retiring from. Close political observers expect control of the House to be decided by just a few seats or less in either direction.
Thissen said a TV ad being run by the Minnesota Jobs Coalition Legislative Fund, which goes after Democratic candidate Susan Witt on a range of issues, is meant to prop up a candidate that Republicans had publicly disavowed.
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"West was forced to resign from his job here at the Legislature over these posts, which makes it even more incredible that the Republicans and the business community are actively trying to elect him to this House," Thissen said.
West had apologized for Facebook posts about lynching and the Confederacy but remained in the race.
At a news conference Friday, Thissen listed off business groups and companies that have contributed money directly or indirectly to the Jobs Coalition.
A coalition spokesman called the criticism "a last-minute, desperate and false attack" meant to distract from Democratic Party struggles.
"Democrats continue to fund and support Ron Erhardt after he mocked a victim of sexual assault and Jerry Loud who repeatedly abused his wife before threatening to murder her," the Jobs Coalition statement said.
The comment aimed at Erhart, an Edina DFL legislator, refers to a graphic joke he told during debate over a bill to toughen penalties for people who put their bodily fluids into the drinks or food of others. Republicans have ramped up their focus on Erhardt's conduct with hard-hitting mailers and TV commercials.
Loud, a candidate for an open northwestern Minnesota seat, ran into trouble when decades-old civil court records surfaced that included allegations he battered his wife. He apologized for past mistakes, but financial help from the DFL Party and allied groups dried up.
The spokesman didn't return a phone call or answer a follow-up inquiry sent by email about the extent of its involvement in the District 37B race in Blaine.
Democrats circulated the 30-second ad against Witt and details on the $18,500 buy, which means the ad could run more than 230 times prior to the election.
Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership and a key player in the business community's political efforts, said groups like his were asked for money by the Jobs Coalition to run a generic statewide TV ad about rising health insurance premiums and other problems at the MNsure exchange. He said dollars were designated for that purpose alone and was adamant the money isn't being used to aid West.
"It was raised for a very specific purpose and that's the purpose it is being used for. And certainly anyone who alleges the opposite can't show otherwise, and we can," Weaver said. "That was exactly how we were asked for and that's how we're spending it. We haven't put a penny in that specific race since the allegations came out."
Weaver said business leaders "don't support that kind of position that he took," referring to West's posts. He said he told Thissen earlier that the political funds he helps run "were out of that race and that continues to be true today." He called Thissen's donor-shaming "silly."