Trail mix: Minnesota Democrats dominate the airwaves

Democrats have vastly outspent Republicans in the Minnesota gubernatorial race ad wars so far.

The big picture: More than eight in 10 TV ads tracked by the Wesleyan Media Project between Sept. 5 and Sept. 18 were meant to boost DFL Gov. Tim Walz over Republican Scott Jensen.

1. More than half the DFL ads came from outside groups.

Of note: No independent committees backing GOP candidate Scott Jensen had weighed in as of the analysis, which used Kantar/CMAG data. One such group, Foundation for Minnesota's Future, announced its first statewide buy on Monday.

What to watch: Updates to campaign finance filings showing how statewide candidates and independent groups have been spending their cash — and how much they have left in the bank — will be posted online at 8am Wednesday.

Catch up quick: The battle for the Capitol

MinnPost is out with a helpful explainer breaking down the state legislative races that will probably determine political control of the state Capitol.

Why it matters: The new Legislature will decide how to spend the state's huge surplus and pass (or block) proposals on issues that will directly impact your life.

State of the campaigns: Democrats say abortion is the driving issue for voters, while Republicans counter that crime and inflation will tip the scales in their favor, Peter Callaghan reports.

Get smart on 20 top legislative races via MinnPost.

💬 Quote du jour: Memo to candidates

"Since abortion is not on the ballot, let's talk about the ongoing issues that affect Minnesotans every day: crime, inflation, the economy and education."

Why it matters: The letter, which was posted online by a political operative and an outside group, reflects Republicans' efforts to limit political blowback over the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

Reality check: While the right to an abortion in Minnesota is protected by a state Supreme Court ruling, the Legislature could pass bills seeking to restrict or expand access to the procedure or put a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Of note: Both sides routinely circulate talking points to campaigns and other surrogates — that's why you hear so many politicians singing such similar tunes on hot issues.

• A spokesperson for the Minnesota Republican Party did not respond to Axios' request for comment on the memo's authenticity.

Go deeper on the memo via The Star Tribune.