Vice President Mike Pence is in Duluth later today (11am) campaigning for 8th District U-S House candidate Pete Stauber. He’ll attend a private fundraiser, then visit a welding and machine shop in West Duluth “to discuss the positive impacts of President Trump’s tax reform policies on Minnesota businesses, working Americans, and their families.” Hamline University analyst David Schultz says, “I think this is part of a broader strategy in terms of shoring-up the base and making sure, not just for the primary but for eventually the general election, that they turn out.”
Republicans are trying to grab the U-S House seat that becomes vacant when Democratic Congressman Rick Nolan steps down. It’s the second top-level visit for Duluth this summer. President Trump visited the port city in late June.
Five Democrats are battling in the August 14th primary to carry their party’s banner against Republican Stauber in the November election. Schultz says whether the vice president’s visit changes any voters’ minds in unclear, but “the Pence visit will… dominate the news for several days, again, precluding Democrats going into the primary on August 14th from perhaps doing as much messaging as they want.”
More in this interview: