WASHINGTON – Dozens of high-profile Democrats have been pressured to take sides in the brutal political battle between Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who are both running for retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat.
But their support for one candidate over the other may not have a huge impact in this ultra-competitive race, even as the endorsements are coming from powerful, well-known and influential Democrats.
For instance, Flanagan has won the endorsements of many of the standard bearers of the progressive movement, including Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Flanagan has also won the support of the two most progressive U.S. House members from Minnesota — Reps. Betty McCollum, D-4th District; and Ilhan Omar, D-5th District.
And Smith, whom Flanagan wants to replace, is also backing the lieutenant governor.
Meanwhile, Craig, considered more moderate than Flanagan, has been endorsed by members of the Democratic leadership, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow moderates like former Transportation Secretary Peter Buttigieg and former Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson.
Craig also has the backing of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and other state and local officials.
Dozens of other Democrats in the Legislature and in local elected offices have also chosen between the Craig and Flanagan camps, creating amazingly long lists of endorsements.
“I’m honored to have earned so much support from leaders who show up every day and serve their constituents with courage and compassion,” Craig said in a statement.
But political analysts say the massive number of endorsements may not make much of a difference when primary voters go to the polls Aug. 11 because informed voters have made up their minds based on what they know of a candidate’s character and record.
There is one group of voters who could be influenced by an endorsement, however.
Studies show that if uninformed citizens can identify endorsers who share their interests, they can simply follow their recommendations instead of investing time and energy to learn about the candidates or policy issues debated in a race.
That’s why political candidates actively seek endorsements from well-known individuals and groups and strategically announce them at key moments during their campaigns.
David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University, compares political endorsements to lawn signs that proliferate in every neighborhood before an election.
“There is minimal evidence that lawn signs really matter in changing people’s vote,” he said.
But like lawn signs, political endorsements are part of the “psychological warfare” deployed during a political campaign. “When one side is doing it, the other side feels they have to retaliate,” Schultz said.
Like the lawn signs, candidate announcements about endorsements are a reminder that an election is coming up, and that might be helpful, Schultz said.
And the endorsements may make a difference among voters who aren’t paying that much attention to the Craig-Flanagan race, he said.
“And if you can move this race by even just a percentage point, you might win the race,” Schultz said.
There is one endorsement that still matters, though. The backing of President Donald Trump is still highly valued by GOP candidates.
“The Republican Party is not divided like the Democratic Party, Schultz said. “And it’s Trump’s party.”
Progressives flex political muscle
The tsunami of endorsements won by Flanagan and Craig show the schism that is splitting the Democratic Party in this election year.
Democratic primaries this year have often been heated matches between mainstream Democrats — most of them incumbents — and progressives running as political outsiders who are angered by what they view is their party’s inability to stop President Donald Trump from imposing his initiatives.
And those progressives have flexed their political muscle.
For instance, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his allies swept a series of congressional primaries in New York City last month, defeating candidates who were backed by the city’s political establishment, including major labor unions and Speaker Jeffries.
But sometimes the backing of outsider candidates, preferably working-class political neophytes, has backfired.
That’s the case in Maine, where Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and military veteran, dropped out of a race for the U.S. Senate this week following a series of scandals that included a woman accusing him of sexual assault.
Platner’s popularity soared in large part because of his plain-spoken populism and his championing of progressive policies like universal health care and affordable housing. His candidacy was bolstered by endorsements from Sanders, Warren and other progressive politicians.
Because he had not held political office before, Platner had not undergone the media scrutiny that politicians are subjected to. And his swift climb hampered party efforts to vet him.
But Flanagan, unlike Platner, is an experienced politician who has held political office, even as she embraces some progressive values and shuns corporate funding of her campaign.
This year’s progressive movement may help Flanagan next month when voters go to the polls. But Minnesota, as a whole, is not as liberal as New York or other states, including Colorado, where progressive candidates have secured primary victories.
And polls continue to show that the Craig-Flanagan race is a real nailbiter.
In other news:
▪️Matthew Blake and Brian Arola wrote about hot races – in the Twin Cities suburbs as well as on the Iron Range and in Moorhead – that could decide whether the next session of the state Legislature is controlled by Republicans or Democrats.
▪️In Matt’s weekly Capitol Conversations, he predicts the issues Republicans will push if they are able to win a legislative majority in the fall elections. On the list are property tax cuts and a ban on transgender women competing in women’s sports.
▪️Andy Steiner, meanwhile, had a piece about a reprieve – at least temporarily – for Twin Cities “clubhouses” used by people with mental illness. The centers run by Vail Communities are getting state funding for another six months as well as a $500,000 donation from retired artist Corey Sauer, who has dealt with mental issues of his own.
▪️And Maddie Robinson wrote about burned out Emergency Medical Technicians in Hennepin County. The emergency responders recently voted “no confidence” in the leader of the department that oversees EMTs, citing, among other things, too few workers.
Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond. Please contact me at aradelat@minnpost.com. I can be reached at aradelat@minnpost.com.
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