In the Know
Minnesota DFL
Feb. 2, 2016
234 days before people can begin to vote by no excuse absentee ballot, Sept. 23
279 days until Election Day, Nov. 8
 
Events today

• Minnesota’s state candidates, parties and political groups will release 2015 spending and fundraising reports.
• 8 a.m. – Gov. Dayton will provide remarks at the STEP-UP Achieve Annual Partners Breakfast, Target Field, Metropolitan Club, 1 Twins Way, Minneapolis.
• 10 a.m. – Gov. Dayton will hold a media availability to take questions from reporters.
• 10 a.m. – The Minnesota Senate Education Committee will hear from the Department of Education about a newly released report that evaluates the successes and effectiveness of the Early Learning Scholarships Program. The nearly three-year-old program was allocated $104 million during last session…The Committee will also hear from MinneMinds, and Wendy Webster, the Director of Community Services at the St. Anthony-New Bright School District.
• Noon – Gov. Dayton will host students from the Future Farmers of America Agricultural Policy Experience for lunch at the Governor’s Residence.

Mark your calendars

• Feb. 3 – The Democratic candidates for president will appear in a town hall meeting in New Hampshire.
• Feb. 3 – The Congressional District 3 DFL will host a precinct caucus training. 6 – 7:30 p.m., Oxboro Library – 8801 Portland Avenue South Bloomington. Key topics include: voting rules, volunteering for local commissions, DFL party structure/endorsement, and core items related to the state caucuses March 1: volunteering in the local DFL party, changing the DFL party platform, convention delegate selection, and selecting the democratic candidate to be nominated for president.
• Feb. 6 – Nurses employed by Allina Health will rally Saturday as they go into contract negotiations. Other nurses and supporters are expected to participate in the solidarity rally that will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ramada Plaza, 330 Industrial Boulevard, Minneapolis. The rally is organized by the Minnesota Nurses Association.
• Feb. 6 – Republicans debate at St. Anselm College on ABC the Saturday night before the New Hampshire primary.
• Feb. 9 – Worker Voice Regional Summit with US Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and local leaders 11 a.m., MLK Park Building, 4055 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis. Join United States Secretary of Labor Perez and local leaders for the first Regional Worker Voice Summit. Regional Summits are focused on bringing together seasoned and emerging leaders from across the country who are lifting up workers’ voices to be active participants in this conversation. Learn more and RSVP here.
• Feb. 9 – The New Hampshire primary.
• Feb. 9 – Senate District 35 special election. Roger Johnson is the DFL-endorsed candidate.
• Feb. 9 – House District 50B special election. Andrew Carlson is the DFL-endorsed candidate.
• Feb. 9 – North Metro Chapter of the DFL Senior Caucus will meet at 11:30 at the Little Venetian Inn, Little Canada, to hear a presentation on the Compassionate Care legislation that is currently pending in the Minnesota legislature. Sen. Chris Eaton, the Senate bill author, and Dr. Rebecca Thoman will speak at the event.
• Feb. 11 – Democrats debate in Wisconsin, to air on PBS.
• Feb. 13 – Republicans debate in South Carolina on CBS.
• Feb. 26 – Republicans debate in Houston on NBC. The co-sponsors are Telemundo and National Review.
• Feb. 25 – Secretary of State Steve Simon will host the “Secretary’s State on the State of Elections” at noonat the Wellstone Neighborhood House, St. Paul. After the speech, participants can attend one of two workshops, “What happens at a precinct caucus,” or “Building the next generation of poll workers.” For more information, click here.

Fundraisers

• Feb. 6 – The Brooklyn Park DFL will host a GOP debate watching party. 7 p.m. Kelly’s Ninth Hole, 8432 Noble Ave. N, Brooklyn Park. Suggested donation is $10.
• Feb. 19 – Congressional District 5 DFL will host its Heart of the Party fundraiser. 7 p.m., 301 on Main, Minneapolis. There is free parking adjacent to the building in an open surface lot. Tickets are $35.
• Feb. 27 – SD36 DFL Fundraiser and Elections Pre-Caucus Rally. North Hennepin Community College, College of Business & Technology, Grand Hall, 7411 85th Ave N, Brooklyn Park. Participants will discuss the importance of Elections in Minnesota and your local Senate District. Keynote speakers are Minnesota Secretary of State,
  Steve Simon and Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. Suggested donation $20. All donations appreciated. Please RSVP with Reva Chamblis at  or call Reva at .
• March 12 – Senate District 63 DFL hosts its annual Spaghetti Dinner. 5 p.m., Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4120 17th Ave. S, Minneapolis.
• March 12 – The Senate District 16 DFL fundraiser will be held at Jackpot Junction, Morton. It kicks off at5 p.m. and will feather a buffet meal, silent and live auctions and speakers.

2016 election
Legislature
Jake Coleman raises over $50K for legislative campaign, Star Tribune

President
On the bubble: Whose White House dreams will burst first? MPR
Hillary’s more electable than Bernie — or is she? MinnPost
Clinton and Sanders, all even after Iowa voting, are poised for a long slog, Washington Post
After close finish in Iowa, Sanders says he can win primaries and caucuses around the country, Washington Post
How Sanders caught fire in Iowa and turned the Clinton coronation into a real race, Washington Post
Martin O’Malley, we hardly knew ye, Washington Post
Iowa caucuses leave Republican and Democratic contests far from settled, Washington Post
Cruz, Rubio eye NH momentum as Dems gird for long fight, MPR

The Democratic race is down to two candidates now that Martin O’Malley has suspended his campaign. The former Maryland governor hoped he’d net the 15 percent necessary to win delegates in a surprising number of precincts — but that didn’t materialize, and O’Malley announced his exit just 150 minutes after the caucuses started. “We must hold strong to our beliefs. A belief in the dignity of every person. A belief in our own responsibility to advance the common good we share,” he told supporters in an email announcing his exit. Also dropping out Monday night was Mike Huckabee. Just years after winning Iowa’s caucuses, he found Donald Trump eating his populist backing and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio seizing evangelicals — eliminating his bases of support. CNN

The rest of the 2016 presidential field is making a beeline for New Hampshire. But Ben Carson is detouring to Florida. Why? Campaign strategist Jason Osborne said he “needs fresh clothes.” The doctor’s unexpected house call comes after a fourth-place finish with 9 percent support. CNN

Ben Carson and Rick Santorum may not be joining Huckabee in quitting the race – yet – but they are now total non-factors. So is Carly Fiorina. Carson is leaving the campaign trail to go to Florida. An adviser said he wants to get a change of clothes and rest for a few days and will be back out on Thursday. To put it politely, that is not the way to win…Santorum, who won the caucuses four years ago, is completely bypassing New Hampshire. He’s going to South Carolina to start a tour of each of the state’s 46 counties. But no one cares.Washington Post

2016 session
Legislative preview sticks to familiar themes, MPR
 
2016 special session
Dayton makes new offer for special session, Star Tribune
Special session becomes even less likely, Duluth News Tribune
 
Agriculture
From buffer strips to federal bills, farmers need a stronger voice, Star Tribune
 
American Indian treaties
‘Stand up for our rights’: Indian treaty tensions run deep in Minnesota, MPR
 
Congress
After Tuesday veto vote on Obamacare repeal, GOP moves on to another budget fight, Washington Post
 
Dayton, Mark
Dayton released from hospital, MPR
 
Education (E-12)
Help wanted: How one rural district is reaching out to young teachers, MinnPost
 
Equality
Being Muslim in Minnesota: Events stoke tension, fear among the faithful, MPR
High-profile Minnesotans’ full-page ad decries bigotry toward Muslims, Star Tribune
Minnesota political and business leaders say, ‘Don’t be #UnMinnesotan,’ Star Tribune
 
Fundraising
Minnesota Senate GOP has $426,000 on hand as it seeks majority, Star Tribune
Loans put Democrat Craig in money lead in 2nd, MPR
Inside Minnesota’s 2nd District fundraising: T-shirts, Texas, Pioneer Press
 
Iowa
Cruz beats Trump in Iowa; Rubio comes in a strong third, Washington Post
Clinton campaign says high Iowa turnout revealed Sanders’s weakness, Washington Post
How Ted Cruz outfoxed Donald Trump in Iowa, Washington Post
Trump brags his way across Iowa on caucus day, Washington Post
Cruz tops Trump in Iowa; Clinton, Sanders too close to call, Star Tribune
Iowa caucus winners and losers, The Hill
Iowa Dems push back on Sanders claim of lost votes, The Hill
Rubio surge nearly catches Trump, The Hill
Iowa caucus results: 6 things that explain how it happened, MPR
Minnesota volunteers help fuel Iowa campaign, KARE

For the first time in the 2016 race, the conventional rules of politics applied to Donald Trump. Ted Cruz’s organizational strength, his well-funded super PAC and his retail politicking carried the day as Cruz bested Trump, 28 percent to 24 percent, on the strength of evangelical voters. The win bodes well for Cruz’s Southern strategy, where he’ll try to rack up delegates among a similar electorate in March, and offers a bit of a psychological boost, too: Voters seemed to ignore Trump’s wishes that they penalize Cruz for his Canadian birth and his relative lack of friends in Washington. CNN

The message Rubio’s campaign will be pressing relentlessly in the days ahead: He’s the only viable Republican alternative to Cruz and Trump. CNN

Republicans had record turnout. Edison Media Research estimates 187,000 Republicans came out. The Democrats said they had 171,109 participants. Washington Post

Winners – Washington Post

 

• Ted Cruz: The Texas Republican had to have a win in Iowa — and he got it. Evangelicals, who spurred Mike Huckabee to victory in 2008 and Rick Santorum to a win in 2012, comprised roughly two thirds of Iowa Republican caucus-goers according to entrance polling and Cruz won them convincingly.
• Marco Rubio: The senator from Florida emerged — as many expected — as the strongest establishment candidate in the GOP field. But he made a strong run at Trump for second place, an unimaginable result even a week ago. As importantly for Rubio, he was leader among all GOP candidates among people who made up their minds in the past week.
• Hillary Clinton: The stakes for Clinton in Iowa were absolutely massive. She needed to win. And (it appears) she will. Clinton is still likely an underdog to Sanders in New Hampshire, but she is also still likely well positioned in the states set to vote after that.
• Bernie Sanders: He — a septuagenarian socialist senator from Vermont — fought Clinton to what amount to a draw (and will be a dead heat in terms of delegates won) is an absolutely remarkable thing that no one could have predicted when he announced nine months ago. The Sanders people will be energized by what happened in Iowa tonight and more convinced than ever that his cause is worth fighting for.Losers – Washington Post
• Donald Trump: All the questions about whether polling support for him would translate into actual votes came to roost — and those questions will now only grow louder. Iowa Republicans poked a hole in the Trump blimp. What we will find out over the next few days is whether it’s a small leak that he can patch over in plenty of time for New Hampshire or whether it’s a catastrophic hole that will bring the whole enterprise down.
• Martin O’Malley: The former Maryland governor just never got enough air under his wings to take off. The real death blow for his hopes came when Sanders seized the mantle of liberal alternative to Clinton.
• Jeb Bush: The writing was on the wall for the former Florida governor for months (and months) in Iowa. There was just no way someone with his profile — establishment, low key, not a front-facing social conservative — was going to be genuinely competitive in this Iowa Republican electorate. No. Way. And yet, for months Bush and his super PAC poured cash and time into Iowa; Bush was in the state as recently asSunday. On Monday night, he got 2.8 percent of the vote. So, yes, that was a waste of time and money.
• Jim Gilmore: No one thought the former Virginia governor had a chance on Monday night. But, Gilmore wound up with 12 votes. Not 12 percent. 12 total votes. I mean, that is horrendous. That’s only 12 more votes than I got.
• Donald Trump’s concession speech: It was a subdued and grateful Trump, not angry and vengeful Trump.

 

Koch brothers
Koch brothers network ready to oppose Trump, The Hill
 
Labor
Nurses to hold solidarity rally Saturday, Workday Minnesota
42 percent of St. Paul workers lack sick time, report says, Pioneer Press

Today in history – Feb. 2, 1935
In a message to Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared: “The rights of employees freely to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining should be fully protected.” Later that year, he signed into law the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining for better terms and conditions at work, and take collective action, including strikes, if necessary. Workday Minnesota

MNsure
MNsure enrolls 85,390, beats target, Pioneer Press
MNsure signs up 85,000 for private coverage, Star Tribune
 
Polls
Only 4 in 10 Republican caucus-goers identified themselves as “angry” with the way the federal government is working, with slightly more calling themselves “dissatisfied, but not angry,” according to the entrance poll results. Washington Post
Republicans who said they care most about winning the general election broke for Rubio over Trump, 44 percent to 24 percent. Washington Post
 
Rochester
‘Destination’ unknown: Rochester wants Mayo to move on massive project, MPR
 
Transportation
Lawmakers hint at common ground for road funding, Pioneer Press
 
Zika virus
WHO declares Zika-associated microcephaly a global public health emergency MPR

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