Lori Swanson set to run for MN Governor, with Rick Nolan as running mate.

[Jeppe]

My prayers have been answered. Hopefully this starts off a chain reaction to get Ellison out of his seat and Ilhan Omar into it.

[Jeppe]

Maybe conventions are useful for something after all. Swanson wouldn’t have run for Governor if the DFL convention didn’t spite her by not endorsing her for re-election.

If I had to wager...

Walz-Flanagan wins MN-01 and MN-02
Murphy-Quayde wins MN-04 and MN-05
Swanson-Nolan wins MN-03, MN-06, MN-07, and MN-08

[Jeppe]

Swanson is the strongest GE candidate though. She’s won statewide 3 times in a row, all by double digits, usually running the strongest of the statewide DFL candidates, and in tough environments like 2010 and 2014. If you want somebody with a long history of winning elections, then Swanson’s your candidate.

[Jeppe]

Lori Swanson seems like a bitter egomaniac. Butthurt over losing the endorsement for AG, now jumping into this race and making a mess. Tim Pawlenty ain't winning, but it sure doesn't look good on the Democrats' part...

She didn't even really lose the endorsement. She had a majority of delegates, just not the required 60%. She could've fought to peel off delegates to get to 60, or exhausted all ballots to force no endorsement. Instead she withdrew from the endorsement race, thus allowing Pelikan to be endorsed b acclimation. Even then she could've ran in the primary and won.

This is just bizarre. And also why there's no chance of me supporting her.

I think that Swanson was just itching to move onto higher office, and being snubbed by the delegates at the convention gave her the fire in her belly to actually make a bold move.

I’m pretty surprised that Nolan agreed to be her running mate though. He endorsed Walz way back, and retired because of health issues in the family, so he must be pretty confident about their chances of beating Walz & Murphy in the primary.

[Jeppe]

Surprised nobody tried to primary Smith, given the circumstances.

Everybody likes Smith

Richard Painter’s actually challenging her, but he’s an internet meme.

[Jeppe]

Yeah, Swanson is the frontrunner. Really shows you how disconnected Atlas is, given that like 90% of people voted for Walz in the “who is going to win the DFL nomination for Governor”.

[Jeppe]

Pretty high undecided so this is still up in the air. Going to produce interesting map though that's for sure.

Trailing in your own internal poll is NEVER a good thing. Some internal polls are frighteningly accurate (like McGrath leading by 8, which was a crazy result), and sometimes they’re very off (like Stacey Evans showing a poll showing her losing by 8, but actually losing by 50).

[Jeppe]

It’d be very impressive for Swanson to win on such short turnaround after leaping into the race so suddenly - though we shouldn’t be surprised considering she’s had 3 statewide landslides.

Funny how a such a seemingly minor action by a couple hundred activists changed the course of the race so decisively. In a different world, Swanson would’ve been endorsed for re-election and Walz would be headed for an easy win against Erin Murphy.

[Jeppe]

It’d be very impressive for Swanson to win on such short turnaround after leaping into the race so suddenly - though we shouldn’t be surprised considering she’s had 3 statewide landslides.

Funny how a such a seemingly minor action by a couple hundred activists changed the course of the race so decisively. In a different world, Swanson would’ve been endorsed for re-election and Walz would be headed for an easy win against Erin Murphy.

Yeah, but for a few whacktivists, MN would’ve definitely had a great Governor   Luckily, Walz should still win.

Behind 8 points in internal polling

- "He's still going to win"

[Jeppe]

Swanson kind seems like a Republican plant in some ways.   I think she's a bit too right wing for MN Dems.

That’s a hell of a long con, she’s been Minnesota’s elected Attorney General since 2006.

[Jeppe]

Swanson actually defeated a congressman in 2006 in the DFL primary for Attorney General, funny how history repeats itself.

I think many of the criticisms about Swanson joining in the race are very gendered. She owes nothing to Walz, who didn’t even win the party’s endorsement, and she has every right to join the race. Walz was going to run for Governor regardless of whether Swanson entered the race a year ago or last month, so it really doesn’t matter anyway.

Swanson is the stronger candidate anyway, she performed the best out of all the statewide DFL candidates in 2010 & 2014, while Walz almost lost to a badly-funded, unknown challenger in 2016, even as Collin Peterson easily won re-election in a much redder district right next door.

[Jeppe]

Swanson actually defeated a congressman in 2006 in the DFL primary for Attorney General, funny how history repeats itself.

Not that it matters but for the record she beat a former congressman (Bill Luther who finished 3rd in the primary), not a sitting congressman.

The guy who came in second was also the candidate endorsed by the DFL. So Swanson beat a former congressman & the DFL endorsed candidate in the primary. Pretty impressive for a first time candidate, who had never held elected office before.

[Jeppe]

Lori Swanson is a massive HP for jumping in the race at the last minute and scrambling the race, even though a Democrat will probably win it regardless. But Mark Begich is an amazing FF for jumping in the race last minute and scrambling the race, even though him doing so raises the chance of a Republican win drastically.

Yeah, they love Walz & they hate Swanson because she’s sending him into retirement. They wanted a coronation for Walz, not the tough race that Swanson’s entrance is causing, so they’re blaming it on her for not capitulating to Walz simply because he entered first.