Jake Johnson supporters hope for an upset in Minnesota's 1st District
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Hundreds of supporters gathered in Rochester to celebrate the conclusion of Jake Johnson’s campaign. He’s the political newcomer who is trying to unseat Republican incumbent Brad Finstad in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, which stretches across all of southern Minnesota.
Attendees seemed cautiously optimistic as they grabbed food and drinks and chatted at round tables in front of large screens displaying live coverage of the election results. When Johnson entered the room to greet his supporters shortly after the polls closed, the crowd cheered.
“I’m very proud of what we built here in southern Minnesota,” Johnson told his supporters while choking up a bit at the podium.
“We spent the day, as a lot of people have, knocking on doors, talking to our neighbors,” he said. “Me, my team, volunteers, everybody in this room has absolutely left nothing on the field, right? And so we didn't stop. My team didn't stop.”
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This race is one of the most competitive in the country, and the stakes are high. A Johnson win could help Democrats take back the U.S. House.
The southern Minnesota district was initially thought to be solidly Republican but recent polls showed Johnson, a high school math teacher, edging closer to Finstad.
The Democrat has been leveraging President Donald Trump’s growing unpopularity and attacking Finstad’s record, including his support for data centers, his votes to cut Medicaid funding, and his backing of the war with Iran that has led to soaring diesel prices.
“I wish I had fantastic news to share with you right at this moment,” Johnson said. “But I'll just say, right now, we are encouraged. We are excited by what we are seeing with the early vote totals coming in. And as we know more information, as the votes become clear, I will be back out with what I certainly hope is a victory speech.”
