The political party official endorsement, especially
those for statewide offices, is way past due for
extinction, and the evidence for that has not ever been
more clear than now in a critical midterm election year.
The problem exists almost equally for both major parties
as endorsements have been or will be won by candidates
significantly less likely to win in November than non-endorsed
candidates from the same party.
This has already taken place at the Republican State party
convention in Duluth where a relatively small number of
delgates decided to endorse candidates for U.S. senator,
governor and state auditor widely perceived as weaker
nominees in the November election against a DFL nominee.
A recent and respected polll indicated, for example, that
media personality Michelle Tafoya led in the Senate race with
more than 50% of GOP primary voters. Adam Schwartze,
who received the convention endorsement, received only
about 4% of the vote. Not only is Tafoya much better known,
she has substantially more campaign funds and a proven
fundraising capability. Fortunately for her party, Tafoya told
the convention she would run in the August GOP primary
with or without the endorsement. She is likely to win that
primary easily, but will have to use some of her campaign
resources needlessly.
The DFL convention in Rochester endorsed Lt. Governor
Peggy Flanagan handily, but a major opponent, retiring
Congresswoman Angie Craig, widely perceived as the
strongest DFL nominee in November, bypassed the
convention entirely and is campaigning hard in the August
DFL primary. Like GOP candidate Tafoya, Craig has already
raised substantially more funds than her party opponent.
Polls indicate that a Flanagan-Craig primary race is still too
close to call, but Flanagan’s association with the far left of
her party might make her a weaker DFL npminee than
more moderate Craig in November,
For obvious reasons, formal party endorsements are
becoming rarer and rarer in states across the country.
Many more voters participate in primaries, and are
much more likely to reflect general election voter
appeal than candidates who have the support of often
only one-issue activists.
Both parties in recent years have seen the negative ’impact
putting flawed or weak nominees on their statewide ballots.
In 2026, it appears that both parties risk doing this again.
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Copyright (c) 2026 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.
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