By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Minnesota has become a competitive U.S. Senate battleground this cycle, driven in part by a state Medicaid fraud scandal, NBC News political analyst Steve Kornacki said in a clip aired on the broadcast Friday.
The assessment marks a shift for a state Democrats have long considered safely in their column, with control of the Senate hanging on a small number of competitive races nationwide, including Michigan’s open seat.
“What they think is working in their favor here is there’s a state scandal there about Medicaid fraud … there does seem to be a tide within the state that might be working against Democrats,” Kornacki said, describing the Republican campaign’s strategy in the race.
Larry O’Connor, the program’s host, said Democrats are now spending money to defend a state they did not expect to need to defend this cycle. “Democrats now have to spend money defending a state that they really don’t want to defend. That’s deep blue Minnesota,” he said.
O’Connor said the outcomes in Minnesota and Michigan together could determine whether Democrats can retake the Senate majority. “If they lose in Minnesota, if they lose in Michigan, if they lose in either one, it’s nearly impossible for them to get the majority,” he said.
The broadcast segment did not identify the Republican Senate candidate or the Democratic lieutenant governor candidate tied to the fraud scandal by a confirmed name, and the scandal’s full scope, including any charges or convictions, was not addressed in the clip.
The Minnesota race is drawing comparisons to Michigan’s Senate contest between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, which Republicans and Democrats alike have also described as competitive heading into November. Minnesota’s Senate seat is on the ballot the same day, as part of the broader fight for Senate control that Republicans and Democrats alike have identified as closely contested this cycle.
Kornacki’s comments were part of a broader NBC News segment on competitive Senate races nationwide, portions of which were replayed on the broadcast. O’Connor’s commentary followed immediately after the clip, framing the Minnesota contest as evidence that Democrats are being forced to defend territory they had not expected to need to defend this cycle.
Minnesota has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate in decades, making any sign of competitiveness there notable to political handicappers tracking the fight for the chamber. The broadcast segment did not include comment from either Minnesota campaign responding directly to the fraud allegations.
