Shadow group’s ad backs third-party candidate who dropped out of Minnesota Second District race

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 Voter Protection Project, a group that backs Democrats, is behind a digital ad promoting him as a candidate still in the race.

The group takes a swipe at GOP candidate Joe Teirab’s record as a former federal prosecutor, according to the ad shared with the Star Tribune by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Republicans say they’ve seen the ad on streaming services, but it does not appear to be available online.

The ad 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 will remain on the Nov. 5 ballot.

“To preserve the vote, that’s exactly why I dropped out,” Bowman said in an interview.

Bowman was recruited to run by another group, Patriots Run Project, which has since gone dark and whose donors have also been linked to Democrats.

Voter Protection Project could not be reached for comment about the ad. Republicans were quick to blame Democrats for the ad.

“‘Democracy’ is just a talking point for Angie Craig and national Democrats. Their desperation proves they will stop at nothing to deceive voters and distract from their failed policies that has left Minnesota behind,” NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement.

The Craig’s campaign denied any involvement in the ad, which an independent expenditure also ties to Voter Protection Project.

“This appears to be from an independent expenditure (IE) committee. Campaigns are not allowed to coordinate with IEs and we have no involvement with this ad,” Craig’s communications director Katie Kelsh said in a statement.

Teirab said it was unfortunate that groups continued to take advantage of Bowman, who has said he was tricked into running by the Patriot’s Run Project. Teirab characterized the efforts as “election interference.”

One of the donors who helped fund the signature drive to get Bowman on the ballot has also donated to Craig, Teirab said. Federal Election Commission data shows Elizabeth Steinglass, a Washington D.C. area writer, donated $3,300 to both Bowman and Craig’s campaigns.

Additionally, Steinglass gave heavily to Democratic candidates and political committees, donating $185,000 in 2024, reports show.

Teirab said the ad touting Bowman included some of the same “political smears” that Craig featured in an ad of her own about Teirab’s record as a federal prosecutor.

“There’s a lot of shady coordinating going on,” Teirab said, following a news conference Tuesday where he criticized the Craig campaign’s characterization of his record as a prosecutor.

Craig’s latest ad focuses, in part, on a plea deal cut with a fentanyl dealer, who Teirab said gave essential evidence to help convict a drug ring leader.

“To build a big case you have to have cooperators. You have to use cooperators to get to the bigger sharks. That’s what we did in this case,” Teirab said.