By Mark  Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio News Minnesota Republican delegates to weekend conventions denied a U.S. House incumbent the endorsement for a new term and will have a second key race also head to a decisive primary after the better-funded candidate pushed ahead without the official GOP activist backing. The outcomes in the 7th Congressional District — where U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach is seeking a third term — and in the 2nd Congressional District that is deemed a pickup opportunity for the GOP underscore lingering fractions within the party over its future direction. The stak ..read more

By Dana Ferguson, Minnesota Public Radio News The Minnesota Senate approved an elections policy bill Thursday that would guarantee voters the right to sue if they face vote suppression or vote dilution. On a 35-32 vote, the DFL-led chamber approved the provision as part of a broader bill with one Republican, Sen. Carla Nelson of Rochester, siding with them One item in the bill, which backers are calling the “Minnesota Voting Rights Act,” would guarantee in state law protections previously afforded under the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act. The 8th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals last year ..read more

By Ellie Roth, Minnesota Radio News The Minnesota DFL on Monday disavowed a local party chapter’s endorsement of a Minnesota House candidate convicted of second-degree felony assault as Republicans criticized the move to back him the first place. Democrats in Senate District 12 in northwestern Minnesota endorsed Judd Hoff over the weekend. He is running against Republican Rep. Mary Franson of Alexandria. In August of 2020, Hoff assaulted a person with a machete after a confrontation. According to court documents, Hoff argued that he was using self-defense. Hoff received a 13-month prison sente ..read more

Albert Lea voters spoke loud and clear Tuesday in favor of the city borrowing up to $9.8 million to improve the City Arena, Marion Ross theater, Aquatic Center and Splash Pad. According to unofficial results, 75.5% of voters — or 1,849 people — voted “yes,” while 600, or 24.4%, voted “no.” “We look forward to working with our community on making the most of this investment,” said Albert Lea Mayor Rich Murray after hearing the results. “Thank you for supporting our current and future generations.” Cathy Malakowsky, director of community engagement and enrichment, echoed Murray’s remarks ..read more

ST. PAUL — U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota ended his long-shot 2024 Democratic presidential bid on Wednesday after failing to win a primary contest against President Joe Biden. Phillips told WCCO Radio in Minneapolis that he was endorsing Biden, saying “there is only one choice” in an expected fall matchup with Republican Donald Trump. Phillips, a 55-year-old multimillionaire who is among the richest members of Congress, built his White House bid around calls for a new generation of Democratic leadership while spending freely from his personal fortune. But the little-known congressman ..read more

NEW YORK — Nikki Haley will suspend her presidential campaign Wednesday after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, according to people familiar with her decision, leaving Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination. Three people with direct knowledge who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly confirmed Haley’s decision ahead of an announcement by her scheduled for Wednesday morning. Haley is not planning to endorse Trump in her announcement, according to the people with knowledge of ..read more

Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden won the presidential nomination primaries on Tuesday in Freeborn County in their respective parties in what was a lower voter turnout than the same election four years ago. Out of the 2,198 voters who cast their ballot for the Republican side, 1,732 voters, or 78.8%, selected Trump as their choice for president, while 417, or 19%, voted for Nikki Haley. Ron DeSantis received 35 votes, and the remaining candidates received six or less votes. Of the 842 people who voted for the DFL presidential candidates, Biden received 700, or 83.1%, of vo ..read more

MINNEAPOLIS — President Joe Biden dealt challenger Dean Phillips a Super Tuesday defeat in the Minnesota congressman’s home state, while former President Donald Trump beat Nikki Haley in the state’s Republican primary. Minnesota has 75 Democratic and 39 Republican national convention delegates. But as one of the smaller of 16 states and one territory holding Super Tuesday primaries, Minnesota received little attention — even from Phillips, who represents a congressional district in the Minneapolis suburbs but enjoyed hardly any home-field ..read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, were sweeping the coast-to-coast contests on Super Tuesday, all but cementing a November rematch and increasing pressure on the former president’s last major rival, Nikki Haley, to leave the Republican race. Biden and Trump had each won Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Minnesota and Massachusetts. Biden also won the Democratic primaries in Vermont and Iowa. Haley’s strongest performance was in Vermont, where she was essentially tied with Trump ..read more

Voting in Minnesota’s presidential primary is underway at various polling locations in the community and will continue through 8 p.m. If you’re still looking to get out to vote, the following is a list of the precinct locations: Albert Lea W-1 P-1 7:00 am – 8:00 pm Fairlane Building 1105 Bridge Ave Albert Lea, MN 56007 Albert Lea W-2 P-1 7:00 am – 8:00 pm First Lutheran Church 301 Clark St W Albert Lea, MN 56007 Albert Lea W-3 P-1 7:00 am – 8:00 pm United Methodist Church 702 US Highway 69 Albert Lea, MN 56007 Albert Lea W-4 P-1 7:00 am – 8:00 pm Grace Lutheran Church 918 Garfield Ave Albert ..read more