In April, Painter announced he would run as a Democrat. “I’m out of the Republican Party,” he said. “I’m fed up.”
Smith was endorsed by the DFL and raised $4.5 million for her campaign through the end of June.
Painter reported donations totaling $171,153. An NBC News/Marist Poll released last week found that Smith had a 14-point lead in a general-election matchup against state Sen. Karin Housley, the state GOP’s endorsed candidate.
The DFL-Painter rupture burst into public view last Thursday. After an interview aired in which Painter declined to call himself a Democrat, an e-mail from the party said Democrats “should not be fooled by Painter’s blatant political opportunism and attempt to deceive voters.”
It cited other quotes from Painter about his politics, including one from March 11: “I’m not likely to run as a Democrat.”
In response, the Painter campaign said that the DFL’s “desperate” attacks “demonstrate that he is a true threat to win this election.”
Whether Painter having four percent as much money as Smith raised for her advertising defines viability of a candidate, or not, can be debated; so you decide, is Painter "a true threat to win?" I hold doubts. Timmer's endorsement may affect thinking of a few, but Smith seems a lock on the primary and the general election, (based on the current double-digit polling deficit Strib says the endorsed Republican, ,Housley, faces). Add to that, who knows Housley other than as spouse of the coach of an NHL hockey team? Tina Smith has name recognition. Bet on Tina winning her primary.