While the first debate for Republican contenders for the open seat in Minnesota's Second Congressional District will take place on November 19, with another tentatively set for February 8, it appears that CD2 DFL-sponsored forums won't take place until the new year.
That delay was at the heart of a dust-up Thursday about the DFL-sponsored forums, with the Angie Craig for Congress committee questioning Mary Lawrence's willingness to agree to debate at all. In a statement posted to the its website, Angie Craig Disappointed by Opponent’s Unwillingness to Debate, the campaign stated:
Today, nearly two weeks after the Party extended the invitation, Angie Craig expressed concern that she is still the only candidate to respond to the Second Congressional District DFL’s invitation to appear in a series of forums or debates. Angie Craig is seeking the DFL endorsement in Minnesota’s Open Second Congressional District.
“We owe it to the district’s primary voters to communicate to them where we stand on the issues and why we believe we would be the best candidate to represent them in Washington,” said Craig. “At the very least, organizers deserve an explanation from any candidate that isn’t willing to do so. I was stunned to hear that the CD2 DFL was forced to cancel a forum proposed for November 7th simply because my opponent did not even respond to their invitations to appear. These are terrific opportunities to tell voters where we stand on the issues. I have fully committed to abide by the DFL endorsement because I believe an engaged and motivated party base is the only way to turn this seat blue next November.” . . .
On Facebook on October 16, the Craig campaign had shared a link to a campaign website post, Angie Craig Accepts CD2 DFL Forum Invitation, that noted, "Details and a schedule of forums is forthcoming."
Here's a screenshot of the Facebook post (the website page is undated):
Her competition for the DFL endorsement (and potentially primary nomination) took exception to the Craig campaign's take on the debates.
In a phone interview, Mark Warren, campaign manager for Mary Lawrence for Congress, asserted that the retired ophthalmologist would participate in the forums, but had not received the debate rules and schedule until Tuesday, October 27.
"We're looking over the proposed dates and rules," Warren said, adding that Lawrence would almost certainly participate in the four CD2 DFL forums in January and February. Warren noted that Lawrence and Craig would also meet in other forums such as those on the couch on TPT's Almanac.
CD2 DFL associate chair Don Slaten, who chairs the district's debate committee, which was formed in September, noted in a phone interview that the Lawrence campaign had been "non-committal" about the debates, but declined to criticize either candidate.
"Both Craig and Lawrence are great candidates," he volunteered, noting that district party by-laws required that officers be neutral prior to endorsements or primary victories in the case of no convention deadline. According to Slaten, the four 2016 forums tentatively are:
January 9, Prior Lake, location TBA; alternative: Burnsville January 24
January 10, Hastings, City Hall (subject to change if Vikings in the playoffs)
January 30, West St. Paul, The Library
February 21, Northfield, The Grand
Slaten said that the CD2 DFL had sponsored "lightly attended" forums featuring three candidates. With the retirement of Representative John Kline in the swing district, he anticipated far more attention for the coming debates.
Other CD2 DFL endorsement contest news
In DFLers pouring own cash into 2nd Congressional District race, Politics in Minnesota's Chris Steller reports:
Neither millionaire in the DFL race to replace U.S. Rep. John Kline in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District will say she is done lending her campaign money.
Mary Lawrence put $370,000 into her effort in the third quarter, bringing the total amount of her own money in her campaign’s war chest to $1.17 million.
Lawrence, an ophthalmologist, said she approaches the question of campaign financing and further self-funding on a “day-by-day” basis.
Asked about future loans to her campaign, Angie Craig said that “we’ll make that decision” but put the emphasis on “hard work at the grass-roots level.”
In a phone interview with Bluestem, a campaign representative told Bluestem that Dan Dodge was directing Craig's field efforts, with volunteers staffing phone banks targeted toward potential caucus goers. He also pointed to Craig's endorsements by labor unions, district DFL activists and elected leaders, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Craig loaned her campaign $370,000. Outside contributions of $132,586 brought her haul for the quarter ending Sept. 30 to slightly more than half a million dollars.
Craig, an executive with St. Jude Medical, said she is putting in “a lot of call time right now” — to the tune of several hours a day.
Lawrence said her campaign has hired field directors and field staff.
Warren told Bluestem that the campaign had hired Jon Martin as field director, with three field staffers starting next week. He asserted that Lawrence was determined to win the endorsement at the district convention. but did not say that Lawrence would abide if it proved elusive.
At MinnPost, Washington DC correspondent Sam Brodey examined the race in What the latest fundraising reports tell us about the very different campaign strategies of Angie Craig and Mary Lawrence. The National Journal recapped the article in Lawrence Self-Funds While Craig Gathers Small Donations.
Stu Rothenberg rates the open seat as "toss-up" between the parties.
Earlier Bluestem coverage of the CD2 race:
Can Julie Rosen save CD2 for the Republicans?
Way in front of the news: Sarah Janecek totally nailed it in 2000 about Lewis's political ambition
Images: Craig's new meme about the debates (above), which may be a bit of a stretch; Craig's October 16 Facebook post agreeing to the debates, details TBA (screenshot, via Facebook).
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