While the Star Tribune reported on Sunday that the First is Minnesota’s most competitive congressional district, there’s growing reason to believe that the most competitive district will be actually be the Sixth.
The district is held by absentee representative Michele Bachmann, who won her seat by 3% in a three-way race in 2008 (Walz won in 2008 by nearly 30% in a three-man contest).
Not only is the Sixth listed by CQ Politics as more competitive (leans Republican v. likely Democrat), DFL-endorsed candidate Tarryl Clark just announced that she raised $505,000 in the first quarter of 2010.
Given the general lack of enthusiasm about the GOP field we’re hearing from Republican friends in the First, we’re not anticipating figures like that coming out of the First’s clown car, even when their totals are combined.
Bluestem has received the following press release:
State Senator Tarryl Clark continues to set a record fundraising pace, announcing today that she has raised an astounding $1.1 million in her campaign to oust incumbent Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Just one week after earning the endorsement of Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Clark closed out the first quarter of the election year by bringing in more than half a million dollars in just three months.
Clark’s announcement came via video sent this morning to the more than 12,000 supporters who have donated to the campaign. The video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/tarrylclarkdotcom.
Since entering the campaign on July 29, 2009, Clark has raised more than $1,108,000 from more than 12,000 individual donors, including more than $505,000 in the first quarter of 2010. Clark becomes the first non-incumbent Congressional candidate in Minnesota history to top the million-dollar mark by the end of the first quarter of the election year.
“Washington isn’t working for the people of the 6th District, and neither is Michele Bachmann,” said Zach Rodvold, Campaign Manager. “It’s clear that folks have had enough of Congresswoman Bachmann and her relentless pursuit of her personal agenda. They’re ready for real leadership on the issues that matter – like jobs and the economy – issues Congresswoman Bachmann has neglected and obstructed. They’re lining up behind Tarryl Clark because they know she’ll stand up for the people of her district and deliver real results.”
“The election year has only just begun, and already tens of thousands of people have committed to Tarryl’s campaign with their donations or with their volunteer hours,” continued Rodvold. “True grassroots people-power is how we will continue to set such a strong pace, and why we will win.”
In the first quarter alone, more than 8,700 people contributed an average of $54, a reflection of the widespread grassroots support for Clark’s campaign.
Clark’s campaign will file its full first quarter report with the FEC next week.
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