Some post-primary coverage …
Patrick Condon of the AP writes: “Two veterans of Minnesota politics, back in the spotlight after big wins in the primary election, are bringing different approaches to the task of unseating congressional incumbents in November. Democrat Rick Nolan and Republican Allen Quist won congressional primaries Tuesday night after decades out of public office. Nolan, who served in Congress from 1975 to 1981, will challenge first-term GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack in northeastern Minnesota's 8th District. Quist, a well-known conservative activist who served in the state House from 1983 to 1989, will take on Democratic Rep. Tim Walz in southern Minnesota's 1st District. Nolan, 68, said he would run on ending tax cuts for the wealthy and investing more in schools, roads and other priorities. Quist, 67, drew a line against tax increases and said balancing the federal budget would be his campaign's chief message.”
Peter Passi at the Duluth News Tribune says of Nolan: “His fundraising machine was outstripped by Clark, who Nolan estimates spent close to $2 million in the race. But Nolan said he was able to put together an effective campaign, noting: ‘The DFL endorsement has been huge for us. The party really stepped up.’ … voters leaving the polls Tuesday had their own favorites. Rob Weidner of eastern Duluth said he voted for Rick Nolan because he seems like the most electable and the most likely to beat Cravaack in November. ‘He’s charismatic. He’s good on the issues. He’s got the DFL endorsement. I think he’s the best chance to win,’ Weidner said. ‘Any of the three would be better than what we have now. But I think Nolan is the best of the three.’ Alison McIntyre of eastern Duluth said she voted for the hometown candidate — Jeff Anderson — because she got a chance to meet him face-to-face.”
For the Post-Bulletin in Rochester, Mike Klein writes: “In perhaps the most-watched race in the region, Allen Quist beat out rival Mike Parry in the GOP primary for the 1st Congressional District. Quist, a self-described Tea Party candidate with a long political career, will take on three-term incumbent Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat. ‘I am convinced that we need to shrink the size of the federal government,’ Quist said. ...Voter turnout was 10.5 percent in Olmsted County on Tuesday, which is a little lower than the usual 12 percent or 13 percent for similar primary elections, said Pam Fuller, Olmsted County election administrator. It was higher in areas where county commissioner races generated interest, she said.”
The Winona Daily News posts a story saying: “Parry conceded the race with 72 percent of precincts reporting and Quist holding 54 percent of the vote. ‘It was time to call Allen and congratulate him, and tell him it’s time for us to rally the Republicans in the First Congressional district because we have a job in front of us, and that job is making sure Congressman Walz does not go back to Washington,’ Parry said in an interview Tuesday. Parry said he thinks his campaign failed due to financial reasons. He urged his supporters to back Quist. ‘It’s always hard to overcome the money issue,’ Parry said. ‘I was underfunded.’ ” Or “under-somethinged.”
For MPR, Jon Collins reports: “Parry conceded the race shortly before 10:30 p.m. In his concession speech, Parry said he vows to support his challenger in defeating Tim Walz in November. ‘This is about a congressman who has failed to represent the first district,’ Parry said. ‘This is about a congressman that has joined lockstep with the Obama administration and actively does not support production agriculture.’ Parry said he believes Quist is an electable Republican, despite previous criticisms about Quist's record and the negative tone the primary race took in the last few weeks. Parry said he will take a long-weekend road trip to Iowa with his family before returning to Minnesota to support Quist's campaign against Walz.”
At Politics in Minnesota, Mike Mullen writes: “Quist won the First District Republican primary with 12,498 votes (55 percent), putting him safely ahead of State Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, with only three precincts yet to report. Thanks largely to the negative tone of Parry’s campaign literature, the primary race had turned into a question of which candidate had the more damaging record of outlandish public statements. Parry’s attack ads brought attention to Quist’s controversial past, which includes pronouncements on women, pornography and homosexuality, from which Quist attempted to distance himself in the run-up to the primary. … Nolan had won the DFL endorsement, and counted former Vice President Walter Mondale among his supporters. For her part, Clark received the endorsement of former President Bill Clinton, and was running with a decided money advantage: Clark’s campaign poured out $225,000 during July alone, topping the combined monthly spending totals for Nolan ($33,000), Anderson ($19,000) and Cravaack ($33,000) combined.”
Josh Moniz at the New Ulm Journal writes: “Quist said it was hard to tell what led to his victory. He suggested it was his focus on addressing the federal debt over personal attacks. He claimed that 1st District voters were more interested in discussing the serious topics. He also credited his wife, whom he said has been an excellent campaign manager for him. … Quist said he had no clue whether Parry's [“pill popping”] gaffe had any impact on the race. He claimed that his internal polling, which he stopped a few days ahead of the gaffe, showed him ahead of Parry by the same amount as his primary victory. … Despite Quist's victory, an intense three months loom ahead if he wants a chance at defeating Walz. Parry spent the last three months targeting Quist over his past controversial actions, including claiming men were ‘genetically predisposed’ to lead households. ... Quist previously asserted he did not believe Walz would target him over his controversial actions. Walz is in a very strong position this year compared to his closer race in 2010. Walz has been behind several popular pieces of legislation, including the STOCK Act. He also raised nearly four times as many campaign funds as the combined totals raised by Parry and Quist.”
In other news … beloved hometown airline Delta is moving a bit more of its jobs to Georgia. Mike Hughlett at the Strib says: “Delta Air Lines will relocate its Edina-based vacation planning business to its Atlanta headquarters, cutting at least another 160 jobs in Minnesota. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that MLT Vacations, which has been based in the Twin Cities for 45 years, will move its headquarters over the next several months. The subsidiary manages Delta Vacations, United Vacations, Aeromexico Vacations and Worry-Free Vacations. The Star Tribune reported in May that Delta was considering moving all or parts of MLT to Atlanta. The airline has also over the past year moved 400 training and technical jobs to Atlanta from Northwest's former home base in Eagan. Delta bought Northwest in 2008 and vowed to keep a strong presence in Minnesota.” One guy doing PX90 would count as “strong,” right?
And no “conceal and carry” was required … Paul Walsh of the Strib reports: “A SuperAmerica customer had a Superman-like moment, tackling a teenage robber who was armed with a handgun outside the convenience store in Rogers, authorities said Wednesday. The heroics unfolded before the eyes [of] a police officer who was staking out the business shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday because of numerous armed robberies of SuperAmericas in the metro area in recent days … The armed robber fled the store on the northwest corner of Hwy. 101 and S. Diamond Lake Road and was quickly tackled by a 38-year-old male customer, allowing the officer to arrest the suspect. The gun and the store's cash were recovered. The customer suffered minor scrapes but was otherwise unharmed. The robber is a 17-year-old boy from Fridley. Also arrested was a 17-year-old girl from Shoreview who allegedly drove the suspect to the store.”