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3 DFL senators won Trump country. Can they do it again?

Republican-Aligned groups have reported about $2.9 million in expenditures to flip three DFL-held Minnesota Senate seats, significantly outspending DFL-aligned groups, which reported just shy of $350,000 in the same races through mid-September.
Senators Rob Kupec, Grant Hauschild, and Aric Putnam are the only DFLers in districts President Donald Trump carried in 2024, making their reelection bids crucial to the DFL's one-seat majority in the Minnesota Senate.
Rejecting party-line labels, Putnam calls himself 'post-partisan' and decries 'bipartisan' as a gimmick, while Hauschild says 'I'll call out anybody who would hurt us' regardless of party affiliation.
GOP challengers counter by emphasizing balance; Austin Peterson describes himself as a 'compassionate conservative' focusing on 'accountability, affordability and opportunity,' while Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich claims Hauschild voted with his party 'about 95%' of the time.
Despite trailing in spending by more than eight times, Putnam stated 'We do have the money; we just haven't spent it,' suggesting the DFL may deploy significant resources before the November 3 midterm election.

Insights by Ground AI