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Minnesota 1st House District special election result

Minnesota 1st House District special election result

House Republicans added one new member to their number Tuesday as former Agriculture Department official Brad Finstad won a special election to serve out the term of the late GOP Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who died of cancer this past February.

Finstad, who emerged from a primary field of eight for the special election in Minnesota’s First Congressional district, led Democrat Jeff Ettinger by 4,920 votes with all precincts reporting.

In a victory statement released by his campaign, Finstad said the election was about the “direction of the country,” and he promised to fight the “extreme” agenda of President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Congress.

“I will work to slash inflation, get control of the border, restore American energy independence, and put our families first. You have my commitment that I will bring our Southern Minnesota values ​​to Washington, DC and work hard for you every single day,” he said.

Agriculture Department official Brad Finstad said he would focus on issues like inflation and supply chain shortages.
Agriculture Department official Brad Finstad said he would focus on issues like inflation and supply chain shortages.
Mark Zdechlik/Minnesota Public Radio via AP, File

While Finstad won the special election, the results of a separate primary election ensured he’ll face Ettinger again in November to decide who will represent the redrawn First District for a full two-year term.

Ettinger, the former CEO of Hormel Foods and a first-time candidate, expressed optimism that he would pull off a surprise win next time.

“We both knew going into this that there was going to be a rematch in November,” he said, according to the Star Tribune. “A November race typically gets four times the turnout of an August race in Minnesota.”

Former Hormel CEO Jeff Ettinger accused his opponents of focusing on President Biden and not the race.
Former Hormel CEO Jeff Ettinger accused his opponents of focusing on President Biden and not the race.
Mark Zdechlik/Minnesota Public Radio via AP

In the Republican primary, Finstad defeated state Rep. Jeremy Munson, while Ettinger beat financial CEO George Kalberer and attorney James Rainwater on the Democratic side. In the days before the special election, Finstad told Minnesota Public Radio that he will concentrate on issues close to regular Americans whom he says have been ignored by the Biden administration.

“Everywhere I go in southern Minnesota, I’m hearing the exact same thing,” said Finstad, who spent six years in the Minnesota legislature before working in the Trump USDA.

“It’s family pocketbook issues. It’s gas prices. It’s food prices. It’s grocery store shelves being half full. It’s disruption in supply chain things like baby formula and other necessities that we’re just not normal to have shortages with. And people are just frustrated with it,” he said to MPR.

Rep. Jim Hagedorn passed away from cancer in February.
Rep. Jim Hagedorn passed away from cancer in February.
Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Ettinger defended the Biden White House as it struggles with high prices caused by the global supply chain backlog, and wondered why Finstad is focusing on the national political environment instead of him.

“I feel like he’s apparently running against Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi, and not me,” Ettinger told MPR.

He said voters he talked with are worried about the logjam in Congress.

“I’m receiving great feedback from Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans who are sick of the gridlock and hostility in Washington and recognize that I have a long track record of getting things done,” Ettinger said. “And that’s what they’re looking for.”

Finstad’s win means the House now has 220 Democrats and 211 Republicans, with four vacancies. Three of the vacancies will be filled by special elections later this month.

Voters in Indiana’s Second District will choose the replacement for Rep. Jackie Walorski, who died in a car crash last week, on Election Day.

With Post Wires

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US

Pro-SALT House Dems say they’ll back spending plan

Pro-SALT House Dems say they'll back spending plan

They’re not SALT-y.

A trio of House Democrats from New York and New Jersey have said that they’ll support the massive spending plan their party forced through the Senate over the weekend — despite their earlier insistence that any such bill lift the cap on state and local tax (SALT ) deductions.

Rep. Tom Suozzi, Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer insisted that the $740 billion so-called Inflation Reduction Act would not raise taxes on individuals, despite a recent analysis by the Joint Committee on Taxation that found levies would jump by $16.7 billion on American taxpayers making less than $200,000 in 2023, while those who make between $200,000 and $500,000 would have to pay $14.1 billion more.

SALT deductions were limited to $10,000 as part of former President Donald Trump’s tax reform plan in 2017, hurting residents of high-tax states like New York and New Jersey.

Late last year, all three lawmakers insisted that President Biden’s multi-trillion-dollar Build Back Better package increase the SALT caps, with Suozzi embracing the mantra: “No SALT, no deal.

”The Long Island rep told The Post Monday that he would support the package “because it is good for my constituents, good for America, and great for the environment.”

SALT Caucus.
The lawmakers previously insisted that any spending plan lift the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
“If someone tries to change the tax rates on families in my District, I will insist that we restore the State and Local Tax Deduction,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer vowed.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“Regarding SALT, the Inflation Reduction Act does not increase personal income taxes and ‘No SALT, no deal’ does not apply,” Suozzi added. “If any change is proposed in the personal income tax rate, I will insist that we restore the State and Local Tax Deduction.”

“The bill is fully paid for, in part, with provisions that go after tax cheats. It will also help pay down the debt — a fiscally-responsible way to get inflation down,” Gottheimer said Sunday after Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate.

“As for SALT, my line in the sand remains the same. If someone tries to change the tax rates on families in my District, I will insist that we restore the State and Local Tax Deduction,” he continued. “This legislation doesn’t raise taxes on families in my District — it reduces the financial burden on them. For that reason, and for its strong support of the climate, lower prescription drug prices, and job creation, I’ll be voting for it.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill said she would vote for the legislation because it “does not raise taxes on families in my district.”
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Sherrill also expressed her commitment to reforming SALT, but noted that “[b]Because this legislation does not raise taxes on families in my district, but in fact significantly lowers their costs, I will be voting for it.”

The measure passed by the Senate does out $369 billion on environmental programs, including tax credits for buyers of electric vehicles and rebates for low-income Americans to install renewable energy sources in their homes.

The legislation also includes provisions allowing Medicare to directly negotiate the prices of certain drugs and capping out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 annually. The bill also extends expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies through 2025, allowing people earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level to get health insurance for free.

Tom Suozzi.
Rep. Tom Suozzi previously embraced the “No SALT, no deal” mantra.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

A $35-per-month cap on what private insurers can charge out-of-pocket for insulin failed to survive the hours-long vote-a-rama that preceded the final vote, falling three “ayes” short of the 60 needed to make the legislation.

The House is expected to reconvene to debate and vote on the measure on Friday. It is expected to pass and be sent to Biden’s desk with all 210 of the chamber’s Republicans voting “nay.”

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Australia

Kalgoorlie journalist Amber Lilley allegedly groped at a bar after Diggers and Dealers Forum event

A woman stands with her hair out and arms folded

The Goldfield’s largest newspaper says reform in the mining industry is needed after a 23-year-old journalist was allegedly groped after this year’s Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum.

Kalgoorlie Miner deputy editor Amber Lilley made the allegations on the front page of Tuesday’s newspaper in the wake of last week’s showcase mining event.

Ms Lilley alleges she was groped and sexually propositioned in a crowded bar after a conference event which left her “shocked and disgusted” and “feeling vulnerable”.

“A man in mining told me he had a ‘rager’ over me,” she said.

“He then proceeded to tell me to ‘call him daddy’ before groping me as I walked away through the crowd, and he followed.”

The Kalgoorlie Miner, owned by the West Australian, which also ran an editorial titled ‘Diggers is done unless it cleans up its act’, has lodged a complaint with the man’s company and West Australian Police.

Not an isolated incident

The incident came after the June release of a scathing report into sexual assault and harassment within WA’s fly-in, fly-out mining industry, which found women had been subjected to “an appalling range of behaviours”.

Ms Lilley said the groping was not the only instance of inappropriate behavior she experienced while covering the event, with comments on her appearance and gender also made by event goers while at a bar.

“Those comments included how great I looked in my outfit, how maybe I could do skimpy bar work, how grateful women should be for their current standing in the industry, and how there aren’t many female industry leaders,” she said.

A balding man in foreground in pink shirt in front of town hall.
John Bowler says the Diggers and Dealers Forum has been unfairly targeted.(ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Nathan Morris)

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Major John Bowler called the article an unjust criticism of the conference.

“Diggers is getting an unwarranted bad rap because of one poor joke by one poor comedian and one sexist comment by one stupid delegate,” he said.

Mr Bowler said he applauded Ms Lilley for calling out the man who made the sexist remarks at a bar but, said the connection to Diggers and Dealers was “ridiculous”.

“The organizers cannot do any more to distance the event from the skimpy barmaid image and they cannot be made responsible for any drunken behavior late at night,” he said.

“What about the other 2,599 delegates and more importantly, what about the women who own and run the forum, who were justifiably proud after last week, but must now feel devastated at what seems like a smear campaign that will only end when Diggers moves out of Kalgoorlie.”

Professionalism needed beyond conference

Speaking on ABC radio, Ms Lilley said her experience did not apply to the conference itself, but was instead a reflection of the behavior she witnessed while covering all aspects of the forum.

“My observations and experience do not apply to the conference itself,” she said.

“Diggers and Dealers in the daytime was an outstanding display of professionalism.

“Outside of the conference and away from the main event, when conference-goers let their guards down, things were often very different.”

A close image of a man in a blue suit.
Rob Carruthers says more needs to be done to stamp out sexual harassment.(ABC Goldfields-Esperance)

West Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy chief executive Rob Carruthers said more needed to be done to eliminate sexual assault in the industry.

“This type of behavior has no place in any part of society, including extensions of the work environment,” Mr Carruthers said.

He said the chamber and its member companies condemned the behavior in the strongest terms.

“We again reiterate our commitment to ensuring it is not only eliminated from the workplace, but from all work-related environments,” he said.

“As an industry, we must do better, by continuing to educate our people about what is and isn’t appropriate and by clearly calling out behavior when it doesn’t meet the required standards.”

Ms Lilley said industry leaders had the “right attitude” and a “willingness” to stamp out sexual assault in the mining industry, but said “it would never be enough until zero women were sexually harassed.”

The organizers of Diggers and Dealers have been contacted for comment.

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US

Senate Dems skipping COVID testing to push spending bill vote: report

Senate Dems skipping COVID testing to push spending bill vote: report

That’s sick!

Senate Democrats are embracing a “Don’t Test, Don’t Tell” policy this weekend as they try to ram a $764 billion spending bill through the 50-50 chamber — knowing that even one COVID-19 positive could blow up their plans.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has set a Saturday test vote for the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which needs all 50 Democrats on board so Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote in its favor.

“They’re not going to delay it if a member has gotten COVID,” a senior Senate aide told Puck News. “Counterparts are saying they’re not going to test anymore. It’s not an official mandate but we all know we’re not letting COVID get in the way. The deal is happening. Less testing, just wear masks and get it done.”

Another source told the outlet that even if a senator did catch the virus, “you can bring your ventilator and still vote.”

Unlike the House, the Senate does not allow proxy voting, meaning members who cannot make it to the floor due to illness are out of luck.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer set a test vote on Saturday for the Inflation Reduction Act.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer set a test vote on Saturday for the Inflation Reduction Act.
AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

Earlier in the week – before moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) got on board with Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) climate and energy plan – the Democratic leader insisted his party was “going to stay healthy” ahead of a potential vote.

“We’re not talking about a plan B,” Schumer said at the time.

Concerns about having all 50 Democrats and Democrat-voting Independents present on the Senate floor have grown in recent weeks, as several senators have tested positive for COVID or been absent for other health reasons.

In late June, Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) fell in his Virginia home and broke his hip – keeping him out of Washington until this week. He ultimately underwent two surgeries.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to a compromise for the spending plan — likely giving Democrats 50 votes for the bill in the Senate.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to a compromise for the spending plan — likely giving Democrats 50 votes for the bill in the Senate.
AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteFile

Just a week before, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota seriously injured his hand during a yard work incident.

In early July, Schumer and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) tested positive for COVID-19, both reporting mild symptoms. Days later, Manchin and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also reported positive tests.

Ironically, Schumer accused Senate Republicans of not taking COVID-19 seriously in the fall of 2020, when a spate of positive tests threatened to derail the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

“Every Senator and relevant staff must have negative tests on two consecutive days and have completed the appropriate quarantining period, and there should be mandatory testing every day of the [confirmation] hearing,” Schumer said in a statement on Oct. 5 of that year. “Testing must be administered by an independent entity, such as the Attending Physician of the United States Congress. Failure to implement a thorough testing approach would be intentionally reckless, and could reasonably lead some wonder if Chairman [Lindsey] Graham and Leader [Mitch] McConnell may not want to know the results.”

If the bill clears the planned Saturday test vote, a series of debates and votes on Republican amendments is expected to follow before a potential vote on final passage sometime Sunday. The legislation would then go to the House.

Sinema agreed to support the measure on Thursday after a provision taxing profits earned by hedge fund, venture capital and private equity executives known as carried interest was removed. In exchange, a 1% tax on corporate stock buybacks was added.

Despite its name, several economic experts — and even the White House — have suggested the Inflation Reduction Act would have little impact on the historic price spikes being felt across the country.

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Jerrold Nadler stumbles through debate opening against Suraj Patel

Jerrold Nadler stumbles through debate opening against Suraj Patel

Longshot challenger Suraj Patel came out swinging in the Democratic primary debate for the race to represent Manhattan’s Upper West and Upper East sides, saying it’s time to retire septuagenarian Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney.

The call for new blood from the 38-year-old came right after Nadler stumbled badly through his own opening statement.

“It’s 2022. It’s time to turn the page on 1992,” Patel, 38, said in a swipe at Nadler, 75, and Maloney, 76, during his introductory statement in the debate co-sponsored by NY1 and WNYC.

Nadler’s delivery was halting during his initial presentation and he missedpoke and often seemed unable to come up with the right words.

And then Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, uttered a real whopper, proclaiming, “I’ve impeached Bush twice.”

He was referring to his oversight of the politically divisive impeachments of former President Donald Trump, who he confused with either the 41st or 43rd presidents.

Nadler’s bumbling seemed to prove Patel’s point.

Rep. Jerry Nadler speaks during New York's 12th Congressional District Democratic primary debate hosted by Spectrum News NY1 and WNYC at the CUNY Graduate Center, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in New York.
Nadler stumbled several times, and even said he impeached “Bush” twice.
AP/Mary Altaffer, Pool

“Nineteen-nineties Democrats have lost about every major battle to Mitch McConnell and the Republicans,” said Patel, referring to the Senate Republican leader from Kentucky.

Meanwhile, Nadler sat down during the entire 90 minute session while Maloney and Patel stood at their lectures.

Nadler had many other verbal stumbles throughout the debate and at one point when the moderators offered him a chance to respond since his name had been brought up by an opponent, he seemed stunned and had nothing to say.

At one point, WNYC moderator Brigid Bergin asked Nadler about the importance of seniority and how he and Maloney differed on policies, two related but different questions.

Nadler answered that seniority is important if used effectively, but forget about the Maloney comparison.

“The second one, the second question, what was the second one?” Nadler asked.

Maloney made waves for a different reason during the debate: She predicted that President Biden, 79, would not run for re-election.

“I don’t believe he’s running for re-election,” Maloney said.

Nadler, meanwhile, would not commit to supporting Biden’s reelection and would only answer, “It’s too early to say,” when asked.

Patel, who had made a point of noting that his opponents are too old to be reelected to the House, nevertheless said “yes” to supporting the 79-year-old Biden’s re-election.

On foreign affairs, all three candidates supported House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan and said the Biden administration should not give in to China’s bullying it.

Maloney claimed she was more effective in office than Nadler, saying she delivered the Second Avenue subway for her district while Nadler’s proposed rail freight tunnel hasn’t gotten off the ground. Nadler claimed he helped secure funding for the Second Avenue subway.

Maloney was on the defensive about her prior concerns over whether vaccines contributed to autism, a position she has since abandoned.

Maloney and Nadler each were elected and have served together in Congress for 30 years, first elected in the early 1990s.

Nadler was a former state assemblyman before his election to the House. Maloney chairs the House Oversight Committee and formerly served in the City Council.

Suraj Patel
Suraj Patel is a 38-year-old Democrat calling for Nadler and Maloney’s retirements.
SpectrumNews NY

Patel, a self-described “Obama Democrat” and lawyer whose family runs a hotel business, is making his third run in the 12th congressional district.

The Democrats’ gerrymandering debacle ended up pitting Maloney and Nadler — longtime allies — against each other.

Judges knocked out the Democrat-drawn maps — which Republicans derided as the “Hochulmander” because Gov. Kathy Hochul approved them — finding them unconstitutional.

As a result, a court-ordered special master merged Maloney’s East Side turf with Nadler’s West Side base, and Nadler wasted no time, immediately declaring he’d run in Maloney’s district, guaranteeing at least one of the aged incumbents will be out of a job next year.

Nadler decided to run in the 12th CD against Maloney instead of the 10th District, which he currently represents, because the reconfigured 10th cut out his Upper West Side turf and took in communities in brownstone and southern Brooklyn, a swath of the city he has never .

The primary will be held on Aug. 23 with early voting beginning on August 13.

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