“First-time candidate and successful businessman Dean Phillips is running an inclusive campaign that starts with listening,” said DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján. “While Dean tours the district in his 1960’s milk truck, his opponent has lost his way in Washington and is selling out to the highest bidder. Dean is bringing a refreshing approach to fix a broken Republican-controlled Washington and bring people together to flip this seat in November.”
To: Interested Parties
From: Rachel Irwin, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 14, 2018
RE: The Case Against Erik Paulsen
The primary results in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District set up a competitive race between successful businessman and entrepreneur Dean Phillips and vulnerable Rep. Erik Paulsen.
Given Paulsen’s track record of putting special interests ahead of his constituents, it’s no wonder enthusiasm and energy is on the side of Phillips, who is running an innovative campaign centered on coffee and conversation.
Phillips believes our politics are broken and that representation begins with listening. While he’s been crisscrossing the district in his 1960’s Government Repair Truck, Paulsen has been gallivanting around the country with his donors. Phillips is making campaign finance a top campaign issue. He’s one of a handful of candidates in the country who refuses PAC money of any kind, while Paulsen is the 6th highest recipient of PAC money in Congress.
The contrast between Phillips and Paulsen couldn’t be more clear. While Paulsen desperately tries to paddle away from his loyalty to President Trump, he’s been voting to advance his agenda 98 percent of the time in D.C. This will be a huge liability in this suburban, well-educated district that voted for Hillary Clinton and is looking for a different direction in Washington.
This gives Dean Phillips an opening to take back this competitive seat one conversation (and boat ride) at a time.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Star Tribune Headline: “Dean Phillips Takes His Campaign On The Road – And Lakes – Hoping To Unseat Rep. Erik Paulsen” [Star Tribune, 7/25/18]
New York Times Headline: “For Voters Sick of Money in Politics, a New Pitch: No PAC Money Accepted” [New York Times, 8/12/18]
KSTP: VIDEO: TRUTH TEST: Does Paulsen ‘Stand Up’ to Trump? “I’ll stand up to my party or President Trump to protect Minnesota,” Paulsen goes on to say in the ad. However, he doesn’t give any other examples. It might be because there are not many to choose from. According to the FiveThirtyEight website’s congressional vote tracking, Paulsen has voted 97.7 percent in favor of bills also supported by Trump. [KSTP, 7/20/18]
City Pages Headline: “Erik Paulsen’s Campaign Funded Almost Entirely By Corporations And The Wealthy” [City Pages, 4/12/18]
Vice President Pence: “Congressman Paulsen Has Been Fighting Everyday Shoulder to Shoulder With President Trump” [Pence in Minnesota, 3/28/18]
MinnPost Headline: “Another Analysis Puts The Minnesota CD3 Race In ‘Toss Up’ Category” [MinnPost, 3/9/18]
Paulsen Is a Bought and Sold Politician
Paulsen’s Campaign Fueled by Special Interests, Votes Their Way
Erik Paulsen is the 6th highest recipient of PAC money in Congress — and his record in Washington aligns with lining their pockets. Paulsen voted for the GOP Tax Scam that gives more than 80% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% of Americans and a huge handout to large corporations. And because of how the tax scam blew up the deficit, it gives Erik Paulsen and Washington Republicans an opening to revisit their favorite topic: cutting Social Security and Medicare.
Like so many other suburban districts across the country, gun safety has been top of mind for Minnesotans. And while Minnesota students and teachers have called on Paulsen to take action on gun safety measures, he’s been in the pocket of the gun lobby. Paulsen has voted 21 times against legislation to prevent people on the terrorist watch list from buying a gun and opposed efforts to deny guns to individuals deemed mentally incompetent.
Paulsen’s Healthcare Vote a Huge Liability
Paulsen has taken more than $1.2 million from the insurance industry, and then voted for the AHCA, which would raise healthcare costs, in addition to slapping an age tax on older Americans, gutting pre-existing condition protections and jeopardizing health insurance for 27,700 in his district. With premiums expected to rise by double digits, the political liability of Paulsen’s vote will fall squarely on his shoulders. He’s also failed to stand up to the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Paulsen “Fighting Everyday Shoulder-to-Shoulder With President Trump”
Erik Paulsen knows he’s vulnerable in part because of his loyalty to President Trump. Just look at his first campaign ad, where he’s desperately paddling away from the Trump Administration. Unfortunately for Paulsen, he’s now tied to Trump through his record in Congress. According to the website FiveThirtyEight, Paulsen votes with Trump 97.8 percent of the time, the most of the Minnesota delegation. Local TV fact-checkers have called Paulsen’s claim of standing up to Trump “misleading.”
Even Vice President Pence noted when he came to Minneapolis that Paulsen is “fighting everyday shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump.” Paulsen is going to have to paddle a lot harder to distance himself from his loyalty to the Trump-Pence Administration and their harmful agenda that leaves Minnesotans behind.
THE PATH TO VICTORY
Given the grassroots momentum on the ground, Dean’s unique profile, and the shifting dynamics of this district, DFLers have an opening to flip one of the most competitive districts in the country. MN-03 represents one of the 25 suburban districts that voted for Clinton in 2018. Clinton even outperformed President Obama, who won this district twice. This is the first time that Paulsen will run for re-election with a Republican in the White House, let alone one as divisive and unpopular as Trump, who lost this district by nearly 10 points.
Paulsen has tied himself to the president and his agenda, voting with him 98 percent of the time in D.C. That won’t sit well with well-educated, suburban voters who are tired of Trump, his tweets, and his policies that are out-of-step with Minnesota values. Just look at the polling, Trump is underwater statewide with Democrats leading by 12 points on the generic ballot. Additionally, Phillips leads in both polls conducted in this race so far.
Paulsen’s district has been a top DCCC target since 2017, with strategic investments on the ground and in paid media to educate voters who are frustrated with Paulsen’s record in Washington. Paulsen is clearly feeling the pressure – he caved and held his first town hall in nearly seven years with the emergence of Dean Phillips in the race.
This is too little too late. His last-ditch effort to connect with voters won’t be enough when Phillips has made accessibility and conversation the mainstays of his campaign. Phillips has brought together Minnesotans of every political stripe and is running a positive campaign focused on the issues, like the group of DEAN’s List students who are making gun safety a top issue in 2018.
The contrast couldn’t be more clear heading into November: Phillips has proven he will be a voice for the people of Minnesota, while Paulsen has lost his way in Washington and sold out his constituents to the highest bidder.