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Data shows widening partisan divide between cities, greater Minnesota
Gov. Tim Walz handily beat Republican challenger Scott Jensen on Tuesday, with preliminary data showing Walz with nearly an 8-point margin. While comfortable, that margin is somewhat diminished from Walz’s first campaign in 2018, when he defeated Jeff Johnson by more than 11% for the gubernatorial seat vacated by Mark Dayton. Below the surface, however, […]
Minnesota voter turnout shaping up to be highest in nation yet again
Minnesota voter turnout on Tuesday came in at a respectable 60.66%, according to Secretary of State Steve Simon. While that’s shy of the near record-setting 64.3% in 2018, it’s still comfortably above the average for midterm years going back to at least 1950. Since the year 2000, midterm elections featuring a Republican presidential incumbent have […]
Fact-check: Minnesota students of color aren’t doing better than peers, as Walz said
During the first and only televised debate between Gov. Tim Walz and Republican nominee Scott Jensen on Tuesday, the DFL governor praised Minnesota’s performance in education, especially among the state’s students of color. The moderators asked the candidates about declining test scores and learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning. Walz used […]
Young adults apathetic about MN elections, survey finds
A month before elections for governor, U.S. House and other key races, a new survey from MinnPost and Embold Research finds that younger Minnesota adults are considerably less enthusiastic about voting than their older peers. Seventy-two percent of registered voters age 18 to 34 said they would “definitely” vote this November, compared to 97 percent […]
Workplace injuries loom behind recent rise in union activity
From strikes to union drives, the state of Minnesota has seen a flurry of labor activity in 2022. Those actions mirror what’s happening nationwide – workers, particularly those with demanding service industry jobs, are seeking better pay and conditions after years of pandemic-era turmoil. Low pay and outrageous policies, like Amtrak workers’ inability to take […]
Don’t look now, but homicide is actually down in Minneapolis
Violent crime in the Twin Cities has become a key issue in this year’s Minnesota governor’s race. Just last week, Republican hopeful Scott Jensen released a video calling Gov. Tim Walz “the godfather of the nationwide crime wave.” In reality the drivers of crime are complex and well beyond the control of any individual politician. […]
What Biden’s marijuana announcement means for Minnesota
President Biden announced today that he is pardoning all people with federal convictions for simple marijuana possession, and is calling on state governors to do the same for those with a state conviction. He also said he is asking the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to initiate a formal […]
Minnesota overdose deaths up sharply last year, driven by fentanyl
Minnesota drug overdose deaths hit a record high in 2021, according to provisional data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The sharp uptick in fatal overdoses mirrors a pandemic-era trend also seen in other so-called deaths of despair, like suicide and alcoholism. Nearly 1,500 Minnesotans lost their lives to drugs last year, […]
Interest rate hikes send new home payments sharply upward
Soaring interest rates, driven by the Federal Reserve’s efforts to tamp down inflation, are sending costs skyrocketing for new homebuyers in the Twin Cities region. With a 20% down payment, the typical home purchase in the area now comes with a nearly $2,000 monthly price tag, almost doubling since 2021 — and that’s before you […]
Minnesota used to be a pioneer on ballot access, but new data suggests that’s no longer the case
Minnesota is a high-turnout state, with 80% of the eligible population going to the polls in 2020 – the highest rate in the nation. Traditionally, that’s been explained in part by the relative ease of voting here. New data comparing states on barriers to ballot access, however, paints a somewhat different picture: After factoring in […]
Minnesotans are drinking themselves to death at an unprecedented rate
More than 1,100 Minnesotans died due to excessive drinking in 2021, according to data recently released by the CDC. The number is a record high for the state, representing a doubling of the mortality rate since 2014 and a continuation of a pandemic-era spike in alcohol deaths. Last year more Minnesotans died of alcohol-induced causes […]
Minnesota gun deaths hit 20-year high
The number of Minnesotans dying from gunfire in 2021 rose to the highest level in over 20 years, according to preliminary mortality data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 570 gun deaths in Minnesota last year include 164 homicides, 393 suicides, and 13 additional deaths that were either accidental or of […]