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Something Is Happening in Minnesota

Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP

Minnesota isn’t a blue state at heart—this is the message I’ve been sharing with Republicans while rallying voters and volunteers in the Tim Walz era. There’s a stark contrast between the current low voter engagement and the strong potential among voters who align with our values but haven’t been mobilized yet.

Recent Rasmussen data reveal a surprising shift among minority voters toward Donald Trump. In Minnesota, 46% of white and Black voters, 72% of Hispanics, and 44% of other minorities would vote for Trump. That 72% support from Hispanics and the 44% from other minorities have developed without significant outreach from the Minnesota Republican Party and its allies—an organic groundswell of support. These numbers indicate that people are making their own political choices, independent of organized encouragement. This baseline enthusiasm should allow us to build a stronger movement from here.

In 2022, an average of 2,500 to 3,500 conservative voters in each state House district sat out the election, which allowed Tim Walz to win a narrow Democratic majority—a four-seat lead in the House and a one-seat lead in the Senate. Despite the slim victory, Walz and his allies governed as if they had an overwhelming mandate, pushing a highly radical agenda. Their immediate response to the Dobbs decision was to pass one of the most extreme abortion laws globally, allowing unrestricted access throughout pregnancy without any limits on age, parental notification, or facility standards. This laissez-faire approach to prenatal care was only the beginning; they also passed a 2040 energy mandate banning 80% of our current energy sources and introduced strict business regulations that make it harder for companies to operate in Minnesota.

This radical agenda is the result of eligible conservative voters who stayed home in 2022, voters whose values align with the Republican platform. Contrary to the familiar media narrative, those voters include a growing number of minorities. If Minnesota Republicans and allied organizations can organize and engage these voters, Minnesota could shift from blue to red. We’ve already seen this realignment since 2016, when Trump came within 2% of winning the state, and the traditionally Democratic Iron Range flipped to red. This year, we’re on track to secure rural Minnesota and make inroads in urban areas. In fact, just a few percentage points’ shift in key counties could be enough to tip future elections.

In conversations with community members in the Twin Cities and North Minneapolis, I constantly hear stories of political fatigue. Minneapolis and St. Paul, under decades of Democratic leadership, have promised “change” and “progress,” but many residents feel nothing improves in their neighborhoods. I’ve often heard Black residents say they don’t vote because it doesn’t seem to matter: “Nothing ever changes in the neighborhood.”

This resonates with Romans 10:14:

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

Republicans and conservatives have not effectively shared our message, leaving many voters without a clear sense of the alternative we offer. But even now, without strong outreach, people are showing interest. The foundation is already laid.

In these final days of the 2024 election, Minnesota has a genuine chance to deliver its ten electoral votes for Donald Trump. Republicans are already leading in early voting, polling is within the margin of error, and red districts across the state are reporting long lines for early voting. The potential is real.

Even if we only replicate Trump’s 2016 results, we’ll have laid the groundwork to harness and expand this organic growth. By fostering relationships and building a political organization around these shared values, we can mobilize for the future. At its core, Minnesota is not a blue state.

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