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DFL leaders already on board with Harris ticket
Most of Minnesota’s top DFL leaders are now backing Vice President’s run for the White House.
MINNEAPOLIS — All of Minnesota’s top Democrats have now said they’re on board with Vice President Kamala Harris’ quest for the White House, only a day after President Biden chose to remove himself from the race.
Governor Tim Walz, who co-chairs the Democratic National Committee‘s rules committee, threw his support behind the Vice President. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith also endorsed Harris already, as have three of Minnesota’s four Democrats in the U.S. House — Rep. Angie Craig, Rep. Betty McCollum, and Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Rep. Dean Phillips, who challenged Biden in the primary, tweeted that Harris is qualified to be president. But favors setting up a straw poll of delegates before outright nominating the vice president as the Democratic candidate for president.
Attorney General Keith Ellison, State Auditor Julie Blaha, and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are also in the Harris camp. Secretary of State Steve Simon, as the state’s top elections official, doesn’t endorse candidates.
Abou Amara, an attorney and Democratic strategist, said it’s understandable why so many people have acted so quickly to line up behind Harris.
“We’ve got about 100 days until Election Day. We don’t have much time to consolidate, or spend time bickering among ourselves,” Amara said.
“And then there’s a lot of structural reasons why Kamala Harris should be the candidate – whether it be the money or the current infrastructure of the Biden Campaign.”
Amara said it’s essential that Harris make her running make pick soon, to broaden her base of support.
“The Democratic Party is a party of coalitions, and she has a part of that coalition, which is important, but there are other areas that are less enthused. And so, that vice presidential pick, although it normally doesn’t matter as much as we think, in this context I think it’s going to have a huge impact on bringing other folks on board.”
He said that pick needs to be someone who will enhance the ticket and provide counterbalance to former President Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. While Gov. Walz has been mentioned as a possible running mate, most analysts are pointing to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said she received so many texts and calls Sunday afternoon after Biden’s announcement that her phone almost melted.
“The best conversation I had was with my daughter. She said, ‘Mom, I’m excited!’ I am too. This is historic,” Flanagan said.
Lt. Gov. Flanagan was in Arizona Monday night headlining a fundraiser for Harris with Native American tribal leaders. She said the energy generated by Harris’ sudden move to the head of the ticket will translate to grassroots efforts in Minnesota.
“I’m so moved, and I think there are so many people across the state of Minnesota and across the country who woke up this morning hopeful, who are ready to get to work, who have contributed, who will sign up for volunteer shifts.”
Monday afternoon the DFL party announced they’d broken a fundraising record for a 24-hour period, raising more than $100,000 in one day, mostly from small donors.
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
“This Valentine’s Day, 2025, will mark the five-year anniversary of the premiere of ‘Love is Blind,” Vanessa said on the Season 7 finale. “And, it is gonna be the launch of Season 8, which takes place in Minneapolis.”
The episode also revealed three of the new cast members, one of whom, “Alex,” told Lachey Minneapolis is “not like a major city, but it’s also not a small town,” which he said is just one of the obstacles in his way of finding the one.
“I just never found the right person that clicked for me,” he said.
Meantime, you can bone up on Seasons 1-7 streaming now on Netflix.
MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
