DFL in bitter clash with Senate candidate Richard Painter
Party Chair
Painter said that he "won't swear allegiance to a party" but would caucus with
Painter, a
In April, Painter announced he would run as a Democrat. "I'm out of the
Smith was endorsed by the DFL and raised
The DFL-Painter rupture burst into public view last Thursday. After an interview aired in which Painter declined to call himself a Democrat, an e-mail from the party said
It cited other quotes from Painter about his politics, including one from
In response, the Painter campaign said that the DFL's "desperate" attacks "demonstrate that he is a true threat to win this election." His campaign criticized Smith's support for a land swap for the PolyMet copper-nickel mine, Trump's steel tariffs and the repeal of a medical device tax. Smith's financial disclosure filing shows that she owns med-tech company stocks.
The DFL followed that with another broadside on Monday, blasting Painter's paid affiliation with the
Painter told the
Any assertion that he is connected to the Koch network "is a lie," Painter said, and he said he would begin to sever such relationships if he wins the primary election.
Martin is not satisfied. He said Painter should apologize for the waterboarding of terrorism suspects and the nominations of conservative Supreme Court justices during his tenure in the second Bush White House.
"He's trying to avoid his past," said Martin.
Painter said in a statement that his
Martin also noted that Painter donated to the
Painter said that his contributions were meant to support moderate candidates, and that he hasn't given to any
Intraparty primary battles can be testy, but it's rare for one to become so intense and public.
The DFL's charges don't surprise Painter. "It's just politics," he said.
Smith said in a statement that "anyone running for the DFL nomination should at the least be able to proudly say they are a Democrat -- that word means something to me and all of us who have worked on behalf of Democratic values all our lives."
The party welcomes candidates who don't agree with its core principles on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, Martin said, "but we do expect people to stand up and say, 'I'm a Democrat.' "
Martin said he is confident Smith will win but wants to ensure that DFL voters know "the whole picture" about Painter. "If people make the conscious decision to vote for him, that's their prerogative, obviously," he said.
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