Minnesota has been deeply affected by federal immigration enforcement operations carried out by ICE, which have become a defining symbol of Donald Trump’s second term. The January killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents prompted a major public response and a retreat by the government from its anti-immigration policy.
The November 3 midterm elections will offer a measure of how those events influence voting in the state. The governor’s race is led by Democrat Amy Klobuchar, who is more than 10 points ahead in polls. The Senate contest is closer: recent polls give Democrat Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, a lead of four to five points over Republican Michele Tafoya, a former ESPN sports journalist.
Larry Jacobs, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance, said hostility toward Trump is immense in Minnesota, as it is across the country. But he cautioned that it does not eclipse local considerations. Flanagan’s political positioning could be a concern among undecided or moderate voters, who may consider her too far to the left.
Sources: Le Monde International.