Another defeat has hit former Democrat vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in his home state.
On Friday a Ramsey County District Court judge said that newly elected Democrat Curtis Johnson was not eligible to represent Minnesota House District 40B because he did not meet the residency requirements, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
The case was brought by Republican Paul Wikstrom who said that the Democrat’s residency at an apartment in the district was fabricated.
“Curtis Johnson is enjoined from taking the oath of office and from acting as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for House District 40B,” Judge Leonardo Castro said.
“The reasons for the (residency) mandate are obvious and axiomatic to our representative form of government,” the judge said.
“Obtaining a lease and changing your voter registration does not satisfy this requirement; meaningful physical presence is required to show genuine intent to reside in the district. The people of 40B deserve no less,” he said.
The Republican challenger and his campaign were suspicious of the Democrat’s residency claims and contacted the local power and cable companies to see if accounts were in existence for that apartment in the name of the Democrat.
“We were given the impression that the apartment didn’t have accounts set up for either,” he said.
And when his campaign staff visited the apartment, they discovered that the door “was dusty and lacked evidence of any recent activity or markings indicating dust being wiped away from us,” an affidavit said.
The Republican Party currently has a razor-thin majority in the House with an advantage of majority with 67 seats to 66 and if they are able to secure another vote it will hamper the governor’s agenda.
“With the overwhelming evidence we heard during the trial that the Democrat candidate in Roseville never lived in the district, I applaud the court’s decision to grant the election contest and look forward to ensuring that a valid candidate represents District 40B during the upcoming legislative session,” Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring said. “This is a clear reminder that laws matter, and integrity in the election process is non-negotiable.”
In November the former Democrat vice presidential candidate provided a glimpse into his post-election reflections during a news conference at the Minnesota State Capitol. The event, held to celebrate the state’s turkey industry ahead of Thanksgiving, was reported by KSTP.com last week.
“No regrets,” he said in response to a reporter’s question. “I regret few things in life other than I didn’t get a dog sooner. That’s my biggest regret. But no, I’m proud to have been part of that [campaign]. I think we put a message out that 75 million liked, but not quite enough.”
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The Harris-Walz ticket lost all seven key battleground states, along with the national popular vote. While Governor Tim Walz was optimistic heading into Election Day, he remains realistic about the outcome. He finds some solace in the fact that the campaign gave him the chance to highlight Minnesota on a national stage.
“To be honest, glad to tell Minnesota’s story,” he said. “That we get things done together and (showed) we’re pretty hopeful people.”
The outlet also noted that the upcoming legislative session, where Democrats and Republicans will share power for the first time since 2021, will serve as a test of Walz’s optimism. He said that the release of the state budget forecast this month will put more light on how far the collaboration will extend as well as what money will be available.
“I think at this time we’re waiting to see (how) the forecast comes in,” he said. “We will get an opportunity then to see what the incoming (Trump) administration will do in mid-January and then we will get the opportunity to put out our budget and then a revised budget when the February numbers actually come in.”
