Minnesota Republicans add security to State Fair booth as campaign season heats up
At the Minnesota State Fair, visitors can find pronto pups, pickle pizza and, every year, no shortage of politicians.
With the fall campaign season approaching, candidates for governor and other offices spent Thursday working the fairgrounds, shaking hands and making the rounds among fairgoers.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar was at the fair by 7 a.m., sampling new food offerings.
"We have got the Hmong corn dog with the citrus dip," Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar, who launched her campaign for governor earlier this year and won the DFL primary this month, said the fair offers a unique opportunity to connect with voters who might not otherwise reach out to her.
"Mostly for me, I get to see people who wouldn't come or email, and they get to give me their ideas or tell me what's on their mind," she said.
Fairgoers strolling the grounds were also likely to run into House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who won the Republican primary for governor earlier this month and will face Klobuchar in November.
"All Minnesotans come together here. You see people from all over the entire state," Demuth said.
"Some in agriculture, some from the southern part of the state, some from the northern part of the state — it's been really fun," she added.
The DFL booth was busy Thursday with fairgoers waiting to buy campaign merchandise ahead of what is expected to be a competitive fall election.
Nearby, on Carnes Avenue, the Republican Party's booth also drew steady crowds throughout the day. But this year, the GOP made a change: For the first time, the party hired off-duty law enforcement officers for security at its booth.
Donna Bergstrom, chair of the Minnesota Republican Party, said the decision reflected heightened concerns following recent news coverage.
"This year it felt a little different," Bergstrom said. "I think a lot of people noticed in the news there was a lot of discussion about gangs."
The reference comes after state officials filed lawsuits earlier this month seeking to keep rival gang members away from the fairgrounds following fights and shootings in recent years, and after the Ramsey County sheriff sent warning letters to more than 200 young people with possible gang ties ahead of this year's fair. Officials said last week that alleged gang members had agreed to stay away from the fairgrounds this year.
Security across the fairgrounds remains tight, with fairgoers passing through screening and bag checks. Volunteers and a substantial law enforcement presence keep watch throughout the grounds.