Trail mix: Key Dem distances from Moriarty after attack mailers
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Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty isn't on the ballot this year, but she's still showing up in campaign ads.
State of play: GOP-aligned groups are funding mail pieces and digital spots seeking to tie vulnerable Democrats to the progressive prosecutor, whose charging decisions have at times prompted public backlash.
- And those Democrats are distancing themselves publicly in response.
Driving the news: Axios has spotted the tactic used against Ann Johnson Stewart, the DFL's candidate in the high stakes Senate special election, and Rep. Zack Stephenson, a swing-district Democrat who works as a prosecutor in the Hennepin County Attorney's office.
- The attacks accuse Johnson Stewart of backing "soft on crime" Moriarty's 2022 bid and Stephenson of working with a "radical liberal."
What they're saying: Johnson Stewart, who previously served one term in the Senate, told Axios she "will not be supporting [Moriarty] if she runs for re-election."
- "Since Hennepin County Attorney Moriarty's election, it is clear to me that our vision of public safety and crime prevention are not aligned," she said in a statement, noting her own support from the Hennepin County sheriff.
Stephenson, who started his job when Mike Freeman was still county attorney, endorsed one of Moriarty's opponents in 2022.
- He told Axios recently that while it's "complicated" to comment on his boss' job performance, "it's fair to say that there are some issues where we have a pretty significant difference of opinion."
- He declined to elaborate on those issues, saying it wasn't "appropriate" to comment further given his role as a civil servant.
Zoom in: Stephenson said his current role when the Legislature isn't in session is making charging decisions on non-violent cases as part of the community prosecution division.
Axios' emails seeking comment from Moriarty's campaign weren't returned.
Between the lines: This isn't the first example of swing-district Democrats distancing themselves from the progressive prosecutor — U.S. Rep. Angie Craig publicly criticized Moriarty's handling of the case against a State Trooper who fatally shot a motorist.
Zoom out: This attack ad strategy of highlighting progressive Minneapolis Democrats also isn't new.
- Other GOP ads continue to use U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Attorney General Keith Ellison.
In other political news...
📬 In other political mail news, U.S. Senate candidate Royce White isn't happy about his own party's voter outreach efforts.
Driving the news: The outspoken GOP-endorsed nominee accused the party of going to "war with the grassroots" by failing to include him in a recent get-out-the-vote mailer.
Between the lines: Many GOP candidates have sought to distance themselves from White in light of his controversial comments.
Yes, but: MNGOP officials told the Star Tribune that White's frustration is the result of a "misunderstanding," noting that not every candidate appears on every mailer.
- They pointed out that White was on the sample ballots they sent ahead of the primary.
- "He's the endorsed candidate and we support our endorsed candidates," MNGOP chair David Hann told the paper.
Trail Mix is Axios Twin Cities reporter Torey Van Oot's occasional column on Minnesota campaigns.