Prior to the Aug. 9 primary election, the re-election campaign of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz revealed this week a significant funding lead over Republican Party-endorsed rival Scott Jensen.
The Walz campaign received $871,872 between June 1 and July 18 according to pre-primary campaign financial disclosures submitted last week and made public on Monday. During that time, the Jensen campaign raised $552,437.
According to the statistics, Walz’s campaign enjoyed a sizable financial lead over Jensen’s, with $4.98 million on hand as opposed to just $580,726.
Next month’s primary elections will determine if the presumed DFL and GOP candidates move on to the general election. And months before the November election, both campaigns have stepped up their attempts to engage voters on subjects like public safety, access to abortion, inflation, and energy costs.
Both campaigns cited their most recent funding totals as evidence of the effectiveness of each one.
In a press release on Tuesday, Jensen said, “It’s no surprise that Minnesotans are voting with their wallets, and we are not just appreciative for that support but conscious that we are their hope for meaningful leadership in this state.”
The most recent fundraising figures, according to Walz-Flanagan campaign manager Nichole Johnson, demonstrate “extraordinary grassroots excitement.”
The Jensen-Birk abortion restriction will be fought against, Johnson said, and “Minnesotans know that Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. (Peggy) Flanagan will keep fighting to properly finance public schools, advance economic opportunity, and do so. As we approach the autumn, our campaign is being fueled by their outlook on the future.
Hugh McTavish, a third-party candidate for governor, said in his most recent report that as of July 18, he had just under $50,000 cash on hand.
Before the deadline, a number of other groups reported amassing monies that may be utilized for or against the gubernatorial candidates or lower-ticket politicians.
Additionally, the Minnesota Republican Party reported having roughly $294,000 on hand, compared to the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nearly $2.6 million balance.
According to pre-primary records, Republican Party-endorsed attorney general candidate Jim Schultz outraised fellow GOP rival Doug Wardlow before the primary election and had more than three times as much cash on hand.
Between June 1 and July 18, Schultz raised $141,000, and at the conclusion of that time, he had around $113,000 accessible, as opposed to Wardlow, who raised about $50,000 and had more than $34,000 on hand.
On the other hand, Democrat and first-term Attorney General Keith Ellison claimed to have raised roughly $573,000 and raised about $149,000 during that time.
Democratic challenger Bill Dahn will compete against Ellison in the primaries. As of Tuesday at noon, Dahn’s campaign finance report had not been posted on the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board website.
Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon revealed that his campaign received $178,000 between June 1 and July 18, and that it had slightly less than $679,000 available after the deadline for reporting. Next month, Simon will compete against Steve Carlson in the DFL primary.
As of Tuesday at noon, Carlson’s campaign financial report had not yet been posted.
During that period, Republican challenger Kim Crockett claimed raising $45,000 for her cause and had $77,000 on hand. In the GOP primary, Crockett will face Erik van Mechelen.
According to his campaign report, Van Mechelen had $200 on hand and did not record any additional donations or expenditures throughout the reporting period.
According to pre-primary disclosures, Republican contender Ryan Wilson for state auditor outraised incumbent Democrat Julie Blaha and reported having more money on hand.
Blaha had roughly $32,000 in cash on hand, according to Wilson, who claimed to have about $91,000 accessible. The majority of Wilson’s resources were provided in the form of in-kind donations, including consulting services, advertising, and supplies.
