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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 19 september 2020

Trump and Biden hit unlikely battleground state of Minnesota

(AP) — A solidly blue state violent. That's especially true district, which includes the in the state since last October, out onto a brick plaza in front
for the past half century, in Minnesota, where the May Democratic city of Duluth, compared with almost $6.3 of Little Angie’s Cantina and
Minnesota became an un- killing of George Floyd by a by 15 percentage points. But million for Biden over the Grill and began to elbow
questioned presidential police officer sparked a na- in the midterms two years same period, according to a bump and chat with pass-
battleground on Friday as tional reckoning on racism. later, Radinovich lost by just review of Kantar/CMAG data ersby.
President Donald Trump But for all the work Trump under 6 percentage points. by The Associated Press.
and Democratic chal- has put into the state, it may Still, Trump has spent more Within minutes, a crowd of
lenger Joe Biden fought elude him again in Novem- than a year building a sizable Democrats warn that Biden around 200 gathered, virtual-
for working-class vot- ber. A series of polls over Minnesota ground game. Re- still may have his work cut ly all of them in masks except
ers in dueling events that the past week show Biden publicans are out knocking out for him. for two men in Trump hats.
marked the beginning of has built a consistent lead in on doors and interacting per- Duluth Mayor Emily Larson It was the largest in-person
early voting. Minnesota. And in the 2018 sonally with voters in ways said the Trump campaign has crowd Biden has had since
midterms, Democratic turn- that Democrats mostly have far outpaced Biden in local the pandemic exploded in
The candidates steered clear out surged in suburbs, small not, preferring online opera- yard signs March.
of the state's most populated cities and even on the Iron tions because of the corona- "One of the things the Trump One man yelled from a deck
areas near Minneapolis to Range, across the blue-collar virus. campaign has been very good above the plaza, “Go home,
focus on blue-collar voters, mining towns that were once The president’s reelection about is visibility in Dulu- Joe!”
some of whom shifted to Re- labor strongholds but had campaign announced this th, but also in areas around Two women closer to Biden
publicans for the first time been trending Republican. week a $10 million ad buy in Duluth,” Larson said. After responded, “You are home,
in 2016. Trump was headed a series of states, including Biden's speech, his motor- Joe.”
to Bemidji, about 200 miles David McIntosh, president Minnesota. It has spent near- cade rolled into downtown
(320 kilometers) north of of the conservative Club for ly $17 million on advertising Duluth, where he stepped
Minneapolis, while Biden Growth, which has produced
campaigned n a suburb of anti-Biden ads, said Min-
Duluth, on the banks of Lake nesota may help the Trump
Superior and close to the Wis- campaign build momentum.
consin border. Biden railed “They’re looking beyond the
against Trump's inability to poll numbers and seeing the
control the pandemic, cast- potential there,” said McIn-
ing the president's reluctance tosh, a former congressman
to embrace more serious so- from Indiana. “It’s always
cial distancing safeguards as smart strategy to go on of-
“negligence and selfishness” fense somewhere.”
that cost American lives. At In 2018, Democrats flipped
a carpenter union's train- two suburban congressional
ing hall, he also emphasized districts, took back control
his plans to boost American of the state House by win-
manufacturing. ning suburban Trump-voting
areas and came within one
“It’s time to reward hard work seat of winning control of the
in America and not wealth,” state Senate. Democrats won
Biden declared with rough- every statewide race that year,
ly a dozen workers looking even as they lost a rural con-
on. “When the government gressional district.
spends taxpayers' money, we
should spend that money to Trump’s path to Minnesota
buy American products made success likely depends on
by American workers and finding more votes in rural,
American supply chains to conservative areas –- run-
generate American growth," ning up the score beyond his
Biden said. He promised to 2016 tally. It’s a strategy he’s
invest $400 billion in federal trying to pull off in other
money over his first term to states and it depends on a
ensure more products are robust field operation with
made in America. Since nar- the money and time to track
rowly losing Minnesota in down infrequent or first-
2016, Trump has emphasized time voters. That could be
the state in hopes that a victo- a tall order since Minnesota
ry this year could offset losses already has one of the na-
in other states. He has visited tion's highest voter turnout
regularly and kept a close eye rates. “I don’t think they’re
on issues of particular im- there,” said Joe Radinovich, a
portance to rural corners of Democrat who lost a bid for
the state. He's reversed an a northern Minnesota con-
Obama administration policy gressional district in 2018.
prohibiting the development Radinovich noted the ma-
of copper-nickel mining and jor organizational challenge
has bailed out soybean, corn and expense in tracking new
and other farmers who have voters, making sure they’re
been hurt by trade clashes registered and getting them
with China. to vote – especially during a
pandemic. “We have relative-
More recently, he's embraced ly high turnout already. Most
a “law and order” message people vote. I just don’t think
aimed nationally at white sub- it’s there. I think those people
urban and rural voters who showed up in 2016,” he said.
may be concerned by protests
that have sometimes become In 2016, Trump won that