CHICAGO 鈥� The Democratic nomination of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for vice president could help down-ballot Democrats as well as the state鈥檚 turnout during the 2024 general election.
After witnessing the first two days of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Duluth resident Jen Schultz said she can feel the energy surrounding the Democratic presidential nominees.
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鈥淚 have never been in a stadium or any environment that had as much energy as I felt last night,鈥� Schultz said Tuesday. 鈥淚t was just amazing.鈥�
The enthusiasm displayed on Monday and Tuesday by Democrats at Chicago鈥檚 United Center has Schultz excited not only as a Minnesotan, but also as a candidate.
Schultz is hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican who has represented Minnesota鈥檚 Eighth Congressional District since 2019. A former state representative, Schultz fell short of the same objective in 2022.
But with Minnesota鈥檚 highest-ranking Democrat just above her name on the November ballot, Schultz believes this time around will come with a victory for her and other Democrats across fighting for various national, state and local offices.
鈥淚 think it's going to be a positive thing, because I think that [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�
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is also up for re-election, facing Republican candidate Royce White, which Schultz said adds another reason for Minnesota to get out and vote.
鈥淚've met a lot of Trump supporters who 100% support Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and so I think that's interesting,鈥� she said. 鈥淎my does really well, and having her on the ticket, I think, will bring out more voters on the Democratic side.鈥�
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Minnesota saw 79% of its voters cast a ballot during the 2020 general election, well over the national average of 67%. It was an even stronger showing than in 2016, when the state saw a 75% turnout.
鈥淸Minnesotans] want to use their fundamental right to vote. They take great pride in voting and expressing their views through voting,鈥� Schultz offered as an explanation. 鈥淲e get very engaged in politics, because we know it impacts our life directly, and so does voting.鈥�
Even with 70-some days until Election Day, Schultz has noticed an increase in the willingness of Minnesotans to get involved in campaigning.
鈥淲e had a lot of energy before, even when Biden was a nominee. 鈥� Compared to 2022, we have so many more volunteers,鈥� Schultz said. 鈥淣ow, we have so many more people showing up to march with us at parades and coming to meet-and-greets in even the smallest communities.鈥�
Since his decision to withdraw his candidacy, even fundraising has seen the impact.
鈥淎fter Biden stepped away and Kamala and Walz were [nominated], we saw a huge boost in fundraising. It's very noticeable, and I think it's just going to continue through the election,鈥� Schultz continued. 鈥淭hat was true up and down. I think for all candidates running there was a boost. I'm not talking about high rates specifically, but we did see more.鈥�
While the state鈥檚 Senate isn鈥檛 in an election year, all 134 seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives are, making fundraising a critical part of either party鈥檚 campaign. And all the energy, Schultz said, seems to be the strongest behind the Democratic party.
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鈥淚 think a lot of the energy in Trump's campaign, it's been really deflated,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think a lot of people are going to be supporting [Harris and Walz] and also voting for the DFL ticket this time 鈥� and it can bring a lot of financial and other benefits to Minnesota.鈥�
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