As the campaign season heats up, political candidates all across Minnesota — from city council to governor — are touting endorsements they’ve received from advocacy groups and prominent people. Carleton College political science Professor Steven Schier says it’s because “endorsements are part of the pre-primary money chase that is now actively being pursued by all sorts of candidates.” He adds, “Getting endorsements at this point is very important to show you’re credible and to encourage contributors to give you money, because money is vitally important at this stage in all these contested primaries.”
Candidates with the most money have a better chance of turning out supporters for the August 14th primary election. The politically-active are more likely to participate in the primary, and they generally pay more attention to endorsements than those who only vote in the general election.