Good morning. Does everyone have a “candy corn guy” in their office or just us?

As the candidates in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District meet for a debate tonight, outside spending on the race is starting to pile up. The race between Republican U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad and Democratic challenger Jake Johnson, a schoolteacher, is by all means on the stretch list for Democrats as they eye a House takeover. Now the money is following the opportunity talk. More than $1.8 million through independent expenditures have been made in the district to either support or oppose Finstad and Johnson. Most have come in within the last two weeks. More than $1.7 million of that has been spent against Finstad, a two-term incumbent. Most has been through a TV and digital ad paid for by Your Community PAC that features a former supporter of Finstad talking about why he’s shifted to Johnson. Punchbowl News reported this week that a political group associated with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, another Minnesota GOP congressman, put $600,000 into efforts to help Finstad this week. Those digital streaming and cable TV ads tie Johnson to a former southern Minnesota Rep. and now Gov. Tim Walz. That spending has yet to show up in public records. Tonight’s debate is hosted by KEYC and KTTC and begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Gubernatorial candidate Amy Klobuchar isn’t showing her hand when it comes to potential picks that could fill her U.S. Senate seat if she’s elected governor. Klobuchar told reporters in Moorhead that she would pursue a vetting process for an appointee if she succeeded in her race. "I am clearly interested in having a thorough process to select the interim senator,” she told the Fargo Forum . “It would only be an interim senator and it would be for about a year.” Should Klobuchar win, her Senate seat would come open. Depending on the timing of her resignation, either she or Gov. Tim Walz would be tasked with appointing a replacement. A special election to fill the seat on a more permanent basis would take place next fall, according to state law. If that happens, it would surely draw national attention and big bucks as the only major federal race in November 2027.

Former first lady and two-time presidential candidate Hillary Clinton endorsed Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s campaign for U.S. Senate. Clinton, a Democrat, served in the Senate and was secretary of state under President Barack Obama. She publicly backed Flanagan in her race against GOP nominee Michele Tafoya. “Peggy Flanagan has spent her career fighting for children and families, from the Children’s Defense Fund to the Lieutenant Governor’s office, and she’s delivered for them. I know she’ll be that same champion in the Senate, and I'm proud to endorse her,” Clinton said in a statement. Flanagan has the backing of several prominent Democrats. Tafoya has the support of prominent Republicans, and was part of a fundraiser last month featuring former President George W. Bush. Senate Majority Leader John Thune campaigned for Tafoya in Minnesota this week.

A pillow fight has ended with a state administrative panel swatting former GOP gubernatorial hopeful Mike Lindell with a $600 fine. Lindell was accused of tossing out pillows during several campaign events during his run for governor earlier this year. Lindell, then the CEO of the company he founded, My Pillow, tossed his company’s “Go Anywhere” pillows to crowds during parades in Delano, Foley and Redwood Falls. Political commentator Shawn Towle brought the complaint against Lindell, saying the giveaway was an attempt to induce a vote by handing out something of value given that the pillows sold at the Minnesota State Fair for around $5 each. The pillows tossed out to the crowds include flyers for Lindell’s campaign for governor. In all, it’s estimated he tossed out around 11,000 pillows at those parades. The three-judge panel ruled that Lindell’s pillow-tossing campaign violated state campaign laws. Lindell has one week to pay the fine.

The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission meets today to discuss how past offenses should be factored in when a person is being sentenced. The commission is revisiting the practice of Hernandizing. The practice lets multiple offenses be considered and counted at once. And that can affect a person’s criminal history score, which informs sentencing guidelines. The name comes from the 1981 precedent set in State v. Hernandez. The commission is reassessing the policy because stakeholders have said the current sentencing guidelines are too complex and the policy can yield disproportionate sentences. A group of county attorneys penned an op-ed in the Star Tribune ahead of the meeting, arguing against eliminating the Hernandizing policy. They say it’s a helpful tool in prosecuting repeat offenders and shouldn’t be done away with.

The Minnesota Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal over body camera footage related to Nicole Mitchell’s 2024 arrest. The former DFL state senator is running for Woodbury City Council, which was noted in an Alpha News petition to the high court. The Supreme Court issued a single sentence denial on Sept. 30 of a request to review the case. In July, the Court of Appeals upheld a judge’s ruling to deny Alpha News access to unedited footage of former Mitchell’s arrest on felony charges she broke into her stepmother’s home. Mitchell was convicted in 2025 and resigned. Alpha News first sued in 2024 to try to obtain police footage. The bid was denied on grounds it was still an active case. Some of the footage was played during her trial. After her conviction, the conservative news site again tried to get the full video files and was denied again.

A Hennepin County judge has lifted a temporary gag order on all parties involved in the state's murder case against Vance Boelter — including Boelter himself. Judge Juan Hoyosissued that temporary order last week, pending a hearing to discuss the issue. In the wake of the Monday hearing, Hoyos has now lifted the gag order. He wrote that it’s not currently needed. But he cautioned all parties to “exercise appropriate restraint and judgment” in any statements on the case. Boelter has already pleaded guilty to federal charges for the June 2025 attacks on DFL lawmakers. His state trial is scheduled for next May.

Dash cam video of the DWI arrest of state Rep. Elliott Engen includes state Rep. Walter Hudson, a passenger in the vehicle, saying police cut him a break according to video KARE 11 received. Engen, the driver, was taken into custody for DWI , which he was later convicted of. Hudson, a permit-to-carry holder, had a handgun on him. Under state law, he is not supposed to carry with a blood alcohol level of over 0.04. Hudson was not tested by police, which the White Bear Police chief later said was at the officer's discretion. Dash cam video requested by Lou Raguse from KARE 11 shows that in the back of the squad car, Hudson says "He's cut me a major break" while talking to another unidentified passenger in the squad car. Talking about the possible charges, the other passenger asks Hudson, "You're a politician, though, right?" Hudson answers, "That's correct. But I'm a very pro cop politician."