Third-party candidate for CD2 recruited on Facebook by secretive group

A third-party candidate running for Congress in the competitive Second Congressional District was recruited by a secretive group that has since been banned from Facebook for deception.

Thomas Bowman admits he’s politically outspoken on Facebook. So he wasn’t surprised when the Patriots Run Project contacted him through the social media site earlier this year “asking some questions about my viewpoints.”

“Then they suggested those are good viewpoints and did I ever consider running for office,” Bowman said of the seemingly grassroots organization. “I thought about it and it seemed like a good idea.”

Bowman acknowledged that his Brooklyn Center home is in the Fifth Congressional District, but the Patriots Run group told him “it would be easiest to get signatures” needed to run in the Second District. Bowman filed the required paperwork, including at least 1,000 signatures, June 4 with the Minnesota Secretary of State to run as a “constitutional conservative” against DFL Congresswoman Angie Craig and Republican Joe Teirab.

The Patriots Run Project characterizes the Democratic and Republican parties as a “uniparty of corporate, elitist politicians who are selling out America,” a message that resonated with Bowman. Advertisements from the group urged “patriots” to run for office to help former President Trump “destroy the deep state.”

Several news organizations and watchdog groups raised questions about the Patriots Run Project, which also has recruited candidates in competitive congressional races in four other states. Facebook took down the network’s pages in June after an international group, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, released a report that the group violated the site’s ban on “deceptive political advertising and coordinated inauthentic behavior.”

On Monday, the Associated Press published a story about the Patriots Run Project, noting that it could help Democrats’ efforts to win back control of the U.S. House and finances tied to “Democratic consulting firms.” The group sought out far-right Trump supporters like Bowman to run as third-party spoilers in tight races.

Teirab’s campaign seized on the AP report Monday, accusing Craig’s campaign of “dirty tricks.” National Republican Congressional Committee accused Democrats of a “shady scheme.”

“Angie Craig owes her constituents answers on what she knew about this election interference and if she will denounce her party’s corrupt tactics,” Teirab’s campaign said in a news release.

Asked about the Patriots Run group, Katie Kelsh from the Craig for Congress campaign said the first “we heard of Thomas Bowman’s candidacy was when he filed with the FEC in April.”

“The campaign has no knowledge of how he got on the ballot,” Kelsh said.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also said it knew nothing about the group.

Bowman says he’s more “annoyed” than anything about reports the Patriots Run Project is trying to sway the election by recruiting him to run. He says his focus on term limits, opposition to funding for the war in Ukraine and tougher immigration enforcement have not changed.

“I didn’t intend for this to spoil anything or ruin anybody else’s opportunities for election,” Bowman said. “If it does, I’m not going to cower or run away. I might be wasting my time, too.”

Bowman admitted his campaign has not drawn much attention so far. He’s struggled to get his website working and he says he hasn’t raised any money, although a federal campaign finance report shows nearly $20,000 in in-kind contributions from out-of-state donors.

Craig is seeking a fourth term in one of the 43 districts that will decide control of Congress and will likely draw tens of millions in spending. She defeated Republican Tyler Kistner by 5.3% in 2022, an improvement from her 2020 margin of 2.3% over Kistner.

Third-party candidates have raised problems and questions in the district before. In 2020 and 2022, Legal Marijuana Now Party candidates died before Election Day.

In September 2022, Craig denounced Minnesota Republicans after news reports said they had supported marijuana party candidates in order to draw votes away from her and benefit Kistner.

Staff writer Sydney Kashiwagi contributed to this report.