What You Need To Know For Tuesday's Primaries
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- Turnout is expected to be well below 10 percent in many Minnesota precincts for Tuesday's statewide primary.
SUPREME COURT
The low turnout is largely because of the lack of any marquee statewide races. In fact, the only statewide race is for the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Incumbent Justice Natalie Hudson will face Michelle MacDonald, who in 2014 ran for the court amidst widespread controversy over her conviction for failing to take a breathalyzer test during a suspected DUI stop.
Also running is attorney Craig Foss.
2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
The Republican primary in the 2nd Congressional District pits well known radio talk show host Jason Lewis against three challengers, including businesswoman Darlene Miller. Lewis is the party's nominee, but Miller has the endorsement of retiring Congressman John Kline.
The winner will face Democrat Angie Craig in November. It's a race that's being targeted by both national parties.
"Democrats see this as a potential pick up for them, Republicans want to hold it, it's going to attract millions of dollars of advertising," said professor David Schultz.
MINNEAPOLIS
In a three-way Democratic race for a Minneapolis seat, longtime state Rep. Phyllis Kahn is looking to extend her 44-year career in the Legislature.
But history awaits if Kahn loses, too. A win for either of her challengers in the reliably liberal district would likely lead to the election of the nation's first Somali-American lawmaker.
Activist Ilhan Omar and Mohamud Noor, who lost to Kahn in a 2014 primary, have both argued that the area needs new representation that better reflects its large population of immigrants from Somalia and other East African nations.
DAUDT IN DOUBT?
Could Republican state House Speaker Kurt Daudt's political rise come to an end?
That's the question at hand as he faces GOP challenger Alan Duff, a former Isanti County commissioner who argues that Daudt hasn't done enough to curb wasteful spending.
Daudt was confident heading into the primary, and an outside political group came to his aid with advertisements when an opposing group started publicly criticizing his personal finances and political leadership.
But a loss could halt the Zimmerman Republican's rapid political rise, which has him pegged as a gubernatorial contender in 2018. It also would throw the House GOP into turmoil as they seek to maintain their hold on the chamber.
ST. PAUL
Another House race attracting attention is in St. Paul's District 65A.
The leader of Black Lives Matter in St. Paul, Rashad Turner, is challenging incumbent Rep. Rena Moran.
NEW VOTING SYSTEM
Instead of waiting in multiple lines depending on the first letter of your last name, you can go to any judge with an iPad who will sign you in or register you to vote.
Ginnie Gelms, the Hennepin County Elections Manager, said the new system will speed up the check in process.
Hennepin County, however, will not roll out the iPads in Minneapolis precincts until 2017.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
