FALCON HEIGHTS, Minnesota 鈥� The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is seeing more financial support than ever before at the Great Minnesota Get Together.
Just four days into the Minnesota State Fair, officials report that the party鈥檚 booth at the fairground has already sold $190,000 across more than 6,000 transactions.
ADVERTISEMENT
The first day of the fair, on Thursday, Aug. 22, saw a variety of types of merchandise repping the names of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, sell out, with fairgoers spending roughly $70,000. Camouflage Harris-Walz hats sold out in less than an hour.
According to Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) spokesman Darwin Forsyth, the sales through the first four days of the fair 鈥渙bliterate鈥� previous records. In 2019, the booth raised $164,000 across the entire 12-day event. The previous single-day record was roughly $19,000.
In addition to merchandise sales, party officials say they鈥檙e also noticing an increase in volunteer sign-ups.
鈥淢innesotans鈥� overwhelming enthusiasm for the Harris-Walz ticket has supercharged our volunteer sign-ups and grassroots fundraising, and now it鈥檚 fueling our success at the state fair,鈥� said DFL Chair Ken Martin. 鈥淣ow is the time for everyone who is fired up to elect DFL candidates to turn that enthusiasm into the door-knocks and phone calls that will decide this competitive election.鈥�
The extra support the DFL reports immediately follows the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which thrust Walz into the nation鈥檚 spotlight as he formally accepted his nomination as the party鈥檚 candidate for vice president.
The increased energy within the Democratic party isn鈥檛 only good for Walz, either. According to Democratic U.S. House candidate Jen Schultz, who attended the convention in person, it could also help down-ballot candidates.
鈥淸Voters] will have more reason to stay in the DFL column on the ballot than they would to even cross over,鈥� Schultz explained. 鈥淚 think we're going to see a lot more votes for Harris-Walz, because Walz is there on the ticket, and they may just decide to go all the way down the ballot with DFL.鈥�
ADVERTISEMENT
The boost in fundraising comes as Walz returned to Minnesota following the DNC, but is already preparing to leave the state again for another bus tour, this time in Georgia.
According to the Harris-Walz campaign, the candidates are set to tour throughout southern Georgia via bus before Harris holds a campaign rally near Savannah. Walz, however, will not appear at the rally, according to campaign officials.
鈥淥n the bus tour, the Vice President and Governor Walz will meet directly with voters in their communities,鈥� a news release reads, 鈥渕uch like their western Pennsylvania bus tour which included stops at a local campaign field office and a high school football practice.鈥�
Walz has spent little time in Minnesota since he was tapped to run alongside Harris in early August. According to schedules released by the Harris-Walz campaign, the governor has made public appearances in 19 different locations across a dozen different states since Aug. 6.
The Trust Project
