A group aligned with Democrats has made a last-ditch effort to boost a third-party candidate who is no longer running in Minnesota’s most competitive congressional race.
Thomas Bowman dropped out of the Second District race in early October, but the Voter Protection Project, a group that backs Democrats, is behind a digital ad promoting him as a candidate still in the running.
The group takes a swipe at GOP candidate Joe Teirab’s record as a former federal prosecutor, according to the ad shared with the Minnesota Star Tribune by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). Republicans said they’ve seen the ad on streaming services, but it does not appear to be available online.
It says Bowman will “secure the border to stop the invaders, and he refused to take a COVID shot.” It then cuts to a photo showing DFL Rep. Angie Craig, Teirab and Bowman side by side, and ends by saying: “For Congress, the choice is yours.”
Bowman endorsed Teirab after he left the race, but his name remains on Tuesday’s ballot.
“To preserve the vote, that’s exactly why I dropped out,” he said in an interview.
Bowman was recruited to run for the seat by another group, Patriots Run Project. That group has since gone dark; its donors have also been linked to Democrats.
The Voter Protection Project could not be reached for comment about the ad.