>> Eric: WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO THE WORLD OF POLITICS NOW.

THE GOVERNOR'S RACE HEATED UP THIS WEEK AFTER DEMOCRATIC U.S.

SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR JUMPED INTO THE RACE AS EXPECTED.

>> THE KILLINGS OF RENEE GOOD, A MOM OF THREE, AND ALEX PRETTI, A NURSE WHO TOOK CARE OF OUR VETERANS, 3,000 I.C.E.

AGENTS ON OUR STREETS AND IN OUR TOWNS.

>> AMY KLOBUCHAR'S CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCEMENT OPENS WITH THE NEWS OF THE DAY.

>> THESE TIMES CALL FOR LEADERS WHO CAN STAND UP AND NOT BE RUBBER STAMPS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT WHO ARE ALSO WILLING TO FIND COMMON GROUND AND FIX THINGS IN OUR STATE.

>> THE DEMOCRAT SIGNALS THE MODERATION SHE'S KNOWN FOR IN DOUBLE-DIGIT VICTORIES IN STATEWIDE RACES AND FAMILY ROOTS ON THE IRON RANGE.

>> AND I'M RUNNING FOR EVERY MINNESOTAN WHO WANTS I.C.E.

AND ITS ABUSIVE TACTICS OUT OF THE STATE WE LOVE.

>> CAREER POLITICIAN AMY KLOBUCHAR THINKS TIM WALZ HAS BEEN A GREAT GOVERNOR.

>> THE LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE SPEAKER LISA DEMUTH WAS QUICK WITH A CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL OF HER OWN.

>> WE NEED TO REDUCE HE WASTE WITHIN STATE GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO REDUCE FRAUD, AND THOSE THAT ARE CAUSING FRAUD AGAINST THE TAXPAYERS NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

>> OF THE FIVE STRAW POLLS SO FAR, SHE'S LEADING THE PACK WITH KENDALL QUALLS MAKING A STRONG SHOWING.

>> OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM AS REPUBLICANS, WE HAVE TO GET A CANDIDATE ELECTED.

>> AND CHRIS MADEL DROPPING OUT OF THE RACE THIS WEEK.

>> THE REALITY IS IS THAT THE NATIONAL REPUBLICANS HAVE MADE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR A REPUBLICAN TO WIN A STATEWIDE ELECTION IN MINNESOTA, IT IS A SIMPLE FACT.

♪ ♪ >> Cathy: A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, GOVERNOR'S RACE, NEXT TUESDAY'S AUCUSES.

BRIAN BAKST, POLITICS EDITOR AT MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO NEWS.

LET'S START WITH THAT GOVERNOR RACE.

>> YEAH, LONGEST JANUARY EVER.

ERIC, YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUND THAT NEWS SPIGOT AND TURN IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

>> Eric: I'LL WORK ON IT.

>> Cathy: WE WERE WAITING FOR AMY KLOBUCHAR TO JUMP IN, SHE HAD TO BEFORE CAUCUSES, RIGHT?

>> SHE WAS, DEMOCRATS RAN INTO THAT BIG PROBLEM IN 2024 WHEN JOE BIDEN GOT OUT OF AT THE LAST MINUTE AND THEY LID KAMALA HARRIS IN THERE AND TIM WALZ OF COURSE JOINED THE TICKET.

SHE WANTS TO ACTUALLY EARN THE ENDORSEMENT, EARN THE NOMINATION SO THERE WAS A BIG CONCERTED EFFORT ON HER CAMPAIGN'S PART TO GET IN.

>> Cathy: DO YOU THINK CHRIS MADEL HAS SOME KIND OF A FUTURE IN POLITICS OR DO REPUBLICANS NOT WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN?

IS >> I'M STRUGGLING TO THINK OF A CANDIDATE THAT GOT IN WITH SO MUCH PROMISE IN THAT PARTY AND GOT OUT SLAMMING THAT PARTY AND SAYING HE DIDN'T WANT TO ASSOCIATE WITH THAT PARTY, IF HE WOULD RUN AGAIN I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A THIRD PARTY AND HE MENTIONED IF HE HAD ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD HE MIGHT WAGE A THIRD PARTY CAMPAIGN, HE'S NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

>> Eric: DIFFERENT OFFICES I GET IT, KLOBUCHAR HAS BEEN A SENATOR, NOW RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.

SENATE VOTE TOTALS, 56%, 55%.

SHE'S GOT TO HAVE PRETTY HEAVY FAVOR?

>> >> REPUBLICANS ARE REALLY TRYING TO CALIBRATE A MESSAGE AROUND HER SAYING SHE'S A CAREER POLITICIAN OR WALZ THIRD TERM R SHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT FRAUD.

HER CAMPAIGN IS MAKING THE POINT SHE'S BEEN A PROSECUTOR, SHE'S PROSECUTED CASES OF FRAUD.

IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT I THINK OUT OF THE GATE FOR REPUBLICANS TO GET BACK IN THE GAME.

THEY HAD A BETTER CHANCE WITH A WOUNDED WALZ THAN THEY DO WITH KLOBUCHAR I THINK.

>> U.S.

SENATE RACE, WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE?

>> WELL, WE HAVE MICHELLE TAFOYA AS YOU MENTIONED WHO GOT INTO THE RACE LAST MONTH ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.

THAT AT LEAST RAISED HOPES OF REPUBLICANS WHO HAVEN'T WON HERE STATEWIDE SINCE 2006.

I'M SURE THERE WILL BE MORE MONEY COMING INTO THE STATE THAN THERE OTHERWISE WOULD.

SHE STILL HAS TO GET THROUGH A FIELD OF REPUBLICANS TO GET THE NOMINATION.

ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE IT'S TURNING INTO A BRAWL AND THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE IS AT THE CENTER OF IT.

, THAT'S WHY I WANT TO ASK.

IT'S NOT A BINARY SITUATION BUT YOU'VE GOT I.C.E., YOU'VE GOT FRAUD.

CAN THEY BOTH SURVIVE 'TIL NOVEMBER OR IS ONE MORE POTENT THAN THE OTHER?

>> ERIC, WE HAVE NINE MONTHS 'TIL THE ELECTION, THE NEWS CYCLE IS MOVING BY THE MINUTE.

IT'S HARD TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT THEN BUT THIS HAS DEFINITELY CHANGED THE DYNAMICS TO SOME DEGREE.

I MEAN, WHEN WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THERE'S BEEN A BIG STORY OR REVELATION ABOUT FRAUD?

THEY WERE COMING UT EVERY DAY AND THE LAST MONTH IT'S BEEN ALL ABOUT IMMIGRATION WHETHER YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE OR NOT THE RIGHT MOVE OR WHETHER THE TACTICS YOU'RE OKAY WITH, AND THEN OF COURSE THE SHOOTINGS JUST DREW A TON OF NATIONAL ATTENTION AND IT'S BEEN ALL IMMIGRATION, THE NATIONAL MEDIA IS CAMPED OUT HERE AND THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE IMMIGRATION KIND OF THE MAIN THEME.

>> Cathy: I WONDER, KSTP CAME OUT WITH THEIR POLL TONIGHT, FRIDAY NIGHT.

TRUMP'S DISAPPROVAL RATING IN MINNESOTA IS 59%.

>> WOW.

>> Cathy: HIS HANDLING OF IMMIGRATION 61% DISAPPROVE.

WITH THOSE NUMBERS HE'S UNDERWATER.

IF YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN GOVERNORN FOR GOVERNOR OR SENATE, I'M WONDERING IF YOU STILL WANT THAT ENDORSEMENT.

>> YOU ASKED LISA DEMUTH THE OTHER DAY, SHE SAID SHE STILL WOULD.

THEY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT GETTING TO THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND THE CAMPAIGN.

GETTING TO THE NOVEMBER BALLOT MEANS POTENTIALLY COZYING UP TO FOLKS WHO REALLY LIKE DONALD TRUMP AND HEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER THEY CAN SEPARATE FROM HIM.

>> Eric: AUCUS NIGHT TUESDAY.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

>> I THINK WE EXPECT A LOT OF TURNOUT.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE YEARS THAT ISSUES OF THE MOMENT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A POLITICAL VENTING OPPORTUNITY AND ON HE REPUBLICAN SIDE YOU HAVE A COMPETITIVE RACE FOR THE GOVERNOR.

>> AND STRAW POLL.

>> ONLY IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, NEITHER PARTY IS DOING A SENATE STRAW POLL SO WE'RE ONLY GOING TO GET THAT READ ON THE GOVERNOR'S RACE.

AS I TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST THE STRAW POLL AND CAUCUSES CAN DO DO MORE TO CLEAR THE FIELD THAN REALLY SEND SOMEBODY GOING.

WE MIGHT SEE SOME DEPARTURES NEXT WEEK.

>> Cathy: I WAS WONDERING, I WAS HEARING BACKGROUND CHATTER, MIGHT THE I.C.E.

CRACKDOWN MAYBE TAMP DOWN CAUCUS PARTICIPATION IN SOME PLACES?

>> THE D.F.L.

IS DEFINITELY WORRIED ABOUT THAT AND THEY'VE BEEN SENDING MESSAGES OUT ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING.

OBSERVERS THERE, THEY SET UP A LEGAL HOTLINE AND BASICALLY SAID IF YOU'RE COMING TO OUR CAUCUS AS I.C.E., DON'T DO SO WITHOUT A WARRANT.

THEY ARE DEFINITELY TRYING TO SEND THE ESSAGE THAT PLEASE STILL DO PARTICIPATE.

OBVIOUSLY REPUBLICANS ARE ALSO HOPING THAT THEIR FOLKS WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF SOME OF THIS IMMIGRATION ACTION COME OUT AND SHOW THEIR SUPPORT.

>> Eric: WITH ONLY A FEW MINUTES LEFT DO YOU HAVE A RUNNINGMATE POTENTIAL FOR KLOBUCHAR?

WHO ARE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT?

>> OH, BOY, I HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

THERE ARE ALREADY THE PARLOR GAME ABOUT WHO MIGHT REPLACE HER.

I WILL SAY THIS, IF YOU'RE AMY KLOBUCHAR YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT TIPPING YOUR HAND ABOUT WHO MIGHT GET APPOINTED TO YOUR SEAT BECAUSE YOU WANT ALL THE PEOPLE HELPING OUT IN THAT CAMPAIGN THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER AND THEN THEY'LL DECIDE THAT AFTER IF SHE'S ELECTED.

>> Eric: SHE'S GOT FRIENDS ON ALL SIDES AND SHE'S WITH HER FRIENDS.

>> YEAH, THINK OF THIS, TWO NEW SENATORS POTENTIALLY NEXT YEAR.

MINNESOTA'S DELEGATION IN