Minnesota is now ground zero in the 2018 midterm elections

[demmiblue]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN)Minnesota is now ground zero for a 2018 midterm election that could change control of Congress.

Al Franken's resignation Thursday means the state will now have two Senate seats on the ballot: a special election to fill the last two years of Franken's term, as well as fellow Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar's re-election.

The state also features five House races that could swing control of the chamber -- with the seats of two Republicans (Reps. Erik Paulsen and Jason Lewis) and three Democrats (Rick Nolan, Tim Walz and Collin Peterson) all top targets.

Walz isn't even running for re-election. Instead, he's running for governor, to replace the term-limited Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton.

All this comes in a state that was surprisingly competitive in the 2016 presidential campaign: Hillary Clinton bested Donald Trump by just 1.5 percentage points.

...

With Franken's resignation, Minnesota -- already crucial to control of the House, where Democrats need 24 seats to regain the majority -- becomes one of 2018's most important states.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/08/politics/minnesota-2018-midterms-al-franken/index.html?sr=twCNN120817minnesota-2018-midterms-al-franken0628AMVODtop

[RandySF]

1. MN is purple state that trends blue

And if national trends hold and our candidate can walk and chew gum, we should be ok.

[Zambero]

2. Minnesota will not be that red again any time soon

Dems should be able to hold their own and perhaps pick off a couple of GOP seats.

[doc03]

3. I think Al Frankin should run again either as a Democrat or an

Independent, let the people decide. If not the Republicons will pull out all stops
to get a Republicon elected.

[dalton99a]

4. +1

Unfortunately, he won't

[R B Garr]

21. Sounds like he was a real threat to other candidates for

you to be so confident he's gone for good.

[octoberlib]

5. Richard Painter said on Twitter Pawlenty

may be running. Would he be hard to beat?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. Oh, the guy whose DOT let a bridge fall down?

[octoberlib]

7. So, hes not. Good. Im familiar with the name,

I just can’t remember much about him.

[Joe941]

8. Guys relax. MN is the ONLY state won by Mondale in '84

The seat is super safe.

[dalton99a]

10. Franken won by 312 votes in 2008

[workinclasszero]

12. 312 votes?

Child's play for the Russians.

Damn

[Scruffy1]

13. We have paper ballots. n/t

[workinclasszero]

17. Will that stop the saturation of the internet with lies by Russia?

Radio and fox "news"spreading lies and the MSN looking the other way 24/7 right up to election day?

[dalton99a]

15. Yep.

The official number from the State Canvassing Board was 225

The Minnesota Supreme Court (unanimously) decided it was 312

[workinclasszero]

18. I'm really scared now

If this seat goes republican.....

[AlexSFCA]

9. in the meantime

it is highly unlikely that turtle will let interim senator, he can delay the process until 2018 special election. Don’t forget that Hillary won MN by the slimmest margins (1.5%). The state has shifted red significantly since 2012. Reps will pull all stops, propaganda, wikileaks, cheating, to discredit any dem candidate and ensure R wins in 2018z Their goal is 60 seat senate majority no less. After the tax bill, gop will have unlimited resources to complete domination. Meanwhile we will be witnessing media consolidation, protests suppression and Sinclair Broadcasting coming to every household in the nation. We are 10 yrs away from handmaid’s tale becoming a reality aided by the escalating conflict with N Korea, Palestines and the entire muslim world.

[workinclasszero]

11. Putin's online army will pull out all the stops on this one

Getting rid of Al Franken was step one.

[ananda]

14. Can't the grass roots rise up and get Franken to change his mind?

Fuck those Dems!!!!

[sarisataka]

16. Possibly but he won't

A split vote would guarantee a Republican victory. Sen Franken is better than that.

[FarCenter]

20. Odds are that the DFL will nominate a woman and the anti-feminist backlash will elect a Republican.

[Demsrule86]

22. We should have fought tooth and nail for Franken...this is complete bullshit...having to fight

to retain a seat we barely won...I am beyond pissed.

[MichMan]

23. There is always Jesse Ventura

Can't believe anyone would have voted for him, but they did