WASHINGTON – DFLers vying for U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison's seat were met with a fresh challenge Friday as the DFL Party announced a special endorsing convention on June 17 in Minneapolis.
The rapidly approaching convention gives candidates just over a week to win over party activists and donors in the state's most reliably Democratic stronghold, where Ellison racked up commanding re-election victories before his abrupt decision to run for Minnesota attorney general.
The race intensified earlier Friday when DFL Gov. Mark Dayton endorsed first-term state Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minneapolis, saying in a statement that she's shown "tremendous leadership" at the Minnesota Capitol and will champion progressive values in Congress.
"It's going to be really important in this battle in Congress between the people and special interests," said Omar, the first Somali-American elected to a state legislature. "It's very vital that we are resisting the destructive politics and the divisive policies that are coming from this administration."
Ellison is among the most progressive voices in the U.S. House, a distinction that has made him a frequent target of bitter attacks from Republicans in Minnesota and across the country. In the crowded field, Omar might have an edge in national exposure, appearing on "The Daily Show," the cover of Time magazine and a music video for pop rock band Maroon 5.
But Omar, who was elected in 2016, also has the least legislative and political experience of the four DFL candidates who have served in the statehouse. Sen. Bobby Joe Champion was elected to the state Legislature a decade ago, serving first in the House; Sen. Patricia Torres Ray was elected in 2007; and former House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher served for about a dozen years at the statehouse.
Focused on Trump
These veteran legislators say that their long legislative records make them qualified to continue Ellison's work. So far, the candidates have focused their talking points largely on Republicans in Congress and President Donald Trump.
The district includes eastern Hennepin County, including all of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties.