DFL Bus Tour hits MSU, urges students to vote
Today is Election Day across the country and millions of people will take to the polls (if they haven’t already) to cast votes. Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates visited Minnesota State Friday as part of its Get Out The Vote Tour Rally in hopes of driving students to the polls.
Back to his old stomping grounds, Gov. Tim Walz, who resided in Mankato for over a decade when he taught at Mankato West High School, energized the crowd while assuring them that, no matter the outcome, he is for Minnesota.
“Of course, we’ll accept it, we value what the voters of Minnesota think. We know they’re going to send us back. But should they not, not only will we honor the election, we’ll help our opponents make Minnesota better in any way that they need,” Walz said. “We’re not enemies, we’re in this together.”
Climate change, funding for education and abortion rights were a few big-ticket items discussed during the rally that could potentially impact this election’s results. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan joined Walz at the rally.
“We all do better when we all do better,” said Flanagan, borrowing a famous quote from the late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone “If I’m thinking about the dreams for my kiddos and your kiddos, I want to make sure that my daughter doesn’t have fewer rights than I as her mother, or her grandmother did. We will fight to ensure that we continue to have access to reproductive healthcare in this state.”
Incumbent statewide office candidates at the rally included: Secretary of State Steve Simon, State Auditor Julie Blaha, and Attorney General Keith Ellison. They were joined by incumbent State Sen. Nick Frentz of district 19, State Rep. Luke Frederick of district 19B and First District Congressional candidate Jeff Ettinger, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar also attended.
“I believe there will not be one student at this college who has not voted in this election. They will be voting for reducing student loan debt, being able to afford medications that keep us alive and a better life for all of us,” Ellison said. “We have got to be the folks who will talk to our neighbors, our friends and family and let them know that it is absolutely important.”
Minnesota has ranked No. 1 in the U.S. with the highest voter turnout for the past three years. Elected officials predict the same this year according to KARE-11 TV in the Twin Cities.
“Minnesota is going to stand up for people who are attacking our democracy. It starts right here in Mankato so let’s get this ticket over the finish line and move our state forward,” Klobuchar said.
One major challenge on the horizon for this year’s midterm winners is what to do with the $9 billion budget surplus. Walz announced he plans to give a portion back to Minnesotans directly through stimulus checks, according to CBS Minnesota.
Header photo: Senator Amy Klobuchar (left) and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan spoke to the crowd at Friday’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor rally. (Lilly Anderson/The Reporter)
Write to Julia Barton at julia.barton@mnsu.edu