Earlier today Rick Nolan, the DFL endorsed candidate for Congress in MN-8, announced he would be holding a press conference at the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth regarding a new mining policy proposal he’s been working out. The presser was scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
Now tonight, Jeff Anderson, one of Nolan’s two opponents in the primary, announced he’d be holding a mining issues press conference at 9:45 a.m. at the same location.
I’ve talked to Nolan tonight, but he’s not releasing his plan until 10:30 a.m. I have no knowledge of what it is. Anderson has made his vocal support of mining a calling card in this race and it would appear that two things are happening:
- The NRRI is set to release some kind of report that shows something of importance regarding nonferrous mining in northern Minnesota.
- Jeff Anderson doesn’t want Nolan’s mining proposal to get all the headlines.
I haven’t heard anything from the Tarryl Clark campaign but they’ll surely be up and running with their ads touting her United Steelworkers union backing tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll have comments as well.
The quick scrum over this issue shows me that mining will probably end up being the pivotal issue in the primary, with implications that extend into the general as well. Incumbent freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) is getting fawning praise from the Iron Range’s largest (and most unremittingly pro-mining) newspaper, the Mesabi Daily News, for his work on the issue.
I’ll try to sift through the news as quickly as possible Wednesday and let you know what it all means. I had already scheduled a post on the money race in MN-8 for tomorrow as well, which will surely add to the enjoyment of the wide-eyed political watchers who keep this little blog in business.
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