Becky Scherr and Michael Brodkorb return after a week off and reflect on the June 14th anniversary of the assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, discussing tributes, the removal of public officials’ home addresses from campaign finance records, new safety-related rule accommodations, and the balance with residency verification.
They preview early voting ahead of the Aug. 11 primary and break down recent KSTP/SurveyUSA primary polling and a Star Tribune/KARE 11/UMN Mason-Dixon general-election poll, including name ID dynamics, undecideds, suburban battleground trends, Walz’s approval decline, and issue priorities led by inflation and fraud.
Michael and Becky then analyze campaign finance filings, highlighting Klobuchar’s fundraising edge, GOP gubernatorial candidates’ cash positions, legislative caucus totals, and the Ellison/Schutz AG race.
The episode closes with reactions to the first Craig/Flanagan Almanac debate, especially on fraud accountability.
00:00 — Welcome, Episode Preview, Life Updates, and the Hortman Tribute: Opening remarks, birthday chaos, a DIY home improvement detour, and a tribute to Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and the safety changes that followed the assassination.
13:20 — GOP Primary Poll Breakdown and the Three-Way Race:Early voting kicks off the election season, a breakdown of the latest GOP primary polling, name ID dynamics, and what a three-way race means for the field.
28:05 — DFL Primary Poll Surprises and the Fraud Factor:Unexpected DFL primary poll findings, the attorney general race and its connection to the fraud issue, and what the numbers reveal about voter priorities.
33:39 — General Election Poll, Optimism, and the Suburban Battleground: A look at general election polling, Republican optimism, the generic Senate ballot, and why the suburbs remain the deciding factor in statewide races.
44:49 — Craig vs. Flanagan, Walz’s Approval Slide, and Top Issues:A comparison of Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s relative strengths, Gov. Tim Walz’s slipping approval numbers, fraud as the dominant voter concern, and the flag backlash poll.
56:47 — Money Race: Klobuchar’s Edge, GOP Cash Crunch, and Lindell’s Oddities: Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s fundraising advantage, the GOP governor field’s cash problems, Mike Lindell’s unusual spending patterns, and Lisa Demuth’s outside spending picture.
01:13:23 — Legislature Money Streetfight and the AG Race:A breakdown of the legislative money battles and what funding trends in the attorney general’s race signal about the broader election landscape.
01:20:43 — Craig vs. Flanagan Debate Review and Wrap Up:A review of the Craig-Flanagan debate, final takeaways, and a preview of what’s ahead next week.
The Break Down with Brodkorb and Becky will return with a new episode next week!
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