Was it the men, or the messages? According to MinnPost, there were comparisons to how Ellison votes stacked up to Wardlow in 2018, vs Ellison votes stacked up to Schultz, 2022, as well as speculation that Jensen's coat tails atop the ticket were a factor against Schultz.
Crabgrass, on the man/message question - Ellison by a substantial measure the better man. Put another way, James Schultz galled me. Ellison has always seemed sagacious and a gentleman in facing whatever Wardlow and advisers, Schutz and advisers threw against him. Not to say the Schultz message was in any way good. Just that it was a lesser factor, to Crabgrass, than one man against the other.
There is this basic truth, in a simple chart:
One Minnesota? Fact or fiction? Crabgrass believes Race and religion factored into what that chart says.
Would less fear mongering or even more sheriffs have tilted things? We only have what we had, as to the message. Simplistic vs. less so? Ditto.
The opinion at Crabgrass again is the Schultz people, and the candidate himself, were overly consistent in the message, and in who they were and how they thought throughout the ramp-up to voting day. The Crabgrass opinion is that the alleged cooperation between the Schultz campaign and outside money/ads is a credible allegation, in light of a totality of circumstances. Including of course, the one person singing for ad buys from campaign and outside PAC; but again, totality.