Minnesota Lawyer
1) Gov. Mark Dayton and US Sen. Al Franken are facing narrow margins of victory, according to a KSTP-SurveyUSA poll released on Thursday.
Dayton leads Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson 46 percent to 40 percent and former House Speaker Kurt Zellers 46 percent to 39 percent. In a contest against former Rep. Marty Seifert, Dayton comes out at 46 percent to Seifert’s 38 percent. The governor leads Scott Honour by 10 points.
2) Gov. Mark Dayton’s re-election campaign fired back against a new ad from the Minnesota Jobs Coalition targeting him for supporting Obamacare, Minnesota Public Radio reports.
The Jobs Coalition, a conservative political organization, sunk about $50,000 into the cable and digital advertisement buy, which started running on Thursday. The group has said it would continue hitting Dayton on Obamacare, despite a report released on Wednesday that showed the ACA and MNSure have helped reduce the number of uninsured people in Minnesota by nearly 41 percent.
“This is a reminder of the Republican approach that would bring Minnesotans back to the days of out of control healthcare costs, discrimination against preexisting conditions, and lack of coverage for basic services like mammograms,” Dayton campaign manager Katharine Tinucci said.
3) The GOP endorsee for the state’s highest court is currently fighting a DWI charge, the Star Tribune reports.
Michelle MacDonald, an attorney who grabbed the party’s backing at the state convention in Rochester, was arrested by Rosemount police in April 2013. She ultimately refused to take a blood, urine or breath test. But later, MacDonald said, she went to a hospital and produced a test that showed no alcohol in her system.
“None of us, including the convention delegates, were aware of this information about the candidate,” Republican Party of Minnesota Chair Keith Downey said. “She, of course, is innocent until proven guilty, but at the same time, the delegates did not have the full disclosure they should have.”
COMINGS & GOINGS
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has registered a political action committee to raise and spend money in the state of Minnesota. The Washington, D.C.-based national headquarters for the union did not list a chairman for its in-state operation.
The Land Stewardship Project is seeking a new finance and operations director. The ideal candidate to join the environmentalist organization’s team should have experience in non-profit financial management, with social justice or environmental experience a plus. Salary ranges up to $48,000, and the application deadline is June 27. Send resume and cover letter to [email protected]
GOP Reps. Tara Mack and Anna Wills are hosting a town hall meeting at the Galaxie Library in Apple Valley on Monday. The legislative session wrap-up meeting is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start time.
McClung Communications and Public Relations is throwing a party on Thursday, June 26 to celebrate its fourth anniversary of operation. The anniversary will be held at Devil’s Advocate in downtown Minneapolis, and will last from 4:00-7:00 p.m. RSVP to [email protected]
Clean Water Action is hiring for field canvasser positions, a role that includes letter-writing campaigns and fundraising efforts. The job comes with a $10/hour wage, with opportunities for some benefits; apply here.
