UPDATE: McFadden takes GOP US Senate nomination
Published 8:28 pm Tuesday, August 12, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS — Businessman Mike McFadden lived up to the favorite’s billing in Minnesota’s GOP Senate primary Tuesday, sweeping to an easy victory and setting up a high-dollar fall matchup with Democratic Sen. Al Franken.
McFadden handily turned back state Rep. Jim Abeler. The day’s other top prize was the Republican nomination to take on Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, with endorsed candidate Jeff Johnson showing an early edge over three top opponents.
Elsewhere in Minnesota, two state House incumbents beat back upstart challengers, including a Somali-born activist who had hoped to become Minnesota’s first Somali-American legislator. State Auditor Rebecca Otto thumped former lawmaker Matt Entenza. And Tom Emmer, who lost the governor’s race four years ago by a few thousand votes, cruised to victory in the GOP primary for the 6th District seat being vacated by Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Turnout was projected as low as 10 percent of eligible voters. The lack of buzz over the election was evident at Edina Community Lutheran Church, where fewer than 120 people had voted by late afternoon. Several Republican voters said they had no clear preference among the governor hopefuls, who differed only slightly on policy and didn’t air a single attack ad against each other.
“That’s a problem. They’re all very similar,” said Pat Montez, who declined to say who she voted for.
