Good morning. Welcome to Monday and the start of a new work week. Here’s the Digest.
1. A new poll in Minnesota’s 8th District shows a tight race between incumbent DFL Congressman Rick Nolan and his Republican challenger Stewart Mills. The KSTP/Survey USA poll shows Mills leading 45-41 with a 4.1 margin of error. The poll that was conducted early last week also shows Donald Trump with a healthy lead over Hillary Clinton in the district, 47-35 percent. The rematch between Mills and Nolan is one of the most expensive races for Congress in the country. (KSTP)
2.Republicans are pushing hard to unseat the chair of the state Senate Taxes Committee. Democrat Rod Skoe has represented Senate District 2 for four terms, but special interest groups are targeting the race.The parties have mobilized behind their candidates. Paul Utke, an insurance agent who serves on the Park Rapids City Council, is Skoe’s opponent. The state Republican Party is helping his get-out-the-vote efforts. Skoe is getting campaign help from Democratic U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, who also represents the area. (MPR News)
3. Health care is becoming a big issue in campaigns around the state. Candidates for the Legislature say they’re hearing a lot about it as they knock on doors. That explains the rush to do something and blame the other party for the problems with spiking premium costs. (Pioneer Press)
4. Hillary Clinton is hoping to run up a big lead in early voting states, but she’s also looking past Trump and campaigning for candidates down the ballot. In particular, she’s hoping to help bring Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate across the finish line with her. (New York Times)
5. Donald Trump’s campaign spokeswoman acknowledged that Trump is trailing Clinton, but said he still has time to come back.“We are behind. She has some advantages,” Kellyanne Conway said on NBC’s Meet the Press, adding that those advantages include that Clinton “has a former president, happens to be her husband, campaigning for her; the current president and first lady, vice president — all much more popular than she can hope to be. And she’s seen as the incumbent.” (CNN)
