Tonight, all the conservative candidates for Minnesota Governor will be assembling in Mankato for a debate and forum. Dr. Neil Shah, Mike Marti, and Mike Murphy will be joining one of 2020’s Liars of the Year (according to Kaiser Health News) Dr. Scott Jensen, former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (avoid going to his post-debate party), and Senator Michelle Benson (who might have some coupons for you if you ask nicely.) Truly, a scintillating time will be had.
Here’s what you need to know about the candidates ahead of tonight’s debate:
Scott Jensen
You might know Scott Jensen from that time he was banned from advertising on Facebook and kicked off TikTok for repeatedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine.
Or you might have heard about him joining America’s Frontline Doctors, an organization founded by a participant in the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, in suing to block the use of COVID vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds.
If this is all news to you, perhaps you remember him from his time in the Minnesota Senate where he voted to shortchange working Minnesotans, underfund Minnesota schools, give tax breaks to the wealthiest Minnesotans and big tobacco companies, protect opioid manufacturers from taking responsibility for the opioid epidemic, against providing emergency insulin for Minnesotans with diabetes, and blocked gun violence prevention legislation. Not great!
As an added bonus, Jensen was also the guy that took his role on the Heath and Human Services committee so seriously that he went golfing during a committee meeting.
Paul Gazelka
What is there to be said about Senator Paul Gazelka’s judgment aside from the fact that four months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Gazelka falsely claimed that the pandemic was no longer an emergency? That was 15 months and more than 650,000 American COVID deaths ago.
Gazelka also held a maskless dinner with more than 100 attendees after the 2020 election which resulted in the COVID death of a Senate colleague. Reporting even shows that the day before Senator Jerry Relph died, Gazelka held a news conference with restaurant owners calling for Walz to end COVID public health measures.
Gazelka also joined his conservative Minnesota Senate colleagues in voting to shortchange working Minnesotans, underfund Minnesota schools and reduce access to pre-K for Minnesota’s youngest learners, give tax breaks to the wealthiest Minnesotans and big tobacco companies, protect opioid manufacturers from taking responsibility for the opioid epidemic, against emergency insulin for Minnesotans with diabetes, against banning the harmful practice of conversion therapy, and blocked gun violence prevention legislation.
Michelle Benson
Joining these gentlemen at tonight’s debate will be Senator Michelle Benson.
In 2019, Michelle Benson was responsible for blocking the Alec Smith Insulin Act to provide emergency insulin to people with diabetes in Minnesota who were struggling to afford the high cost. In an insensitive Facebook post that same year she also told people with diabetes who were struggling to afford insulin and rationing their medication to just “go to an emergency room” or find coupons.
As a state senator, Benson voted to shortchange working Minnesotans, underfund Minnesota schools and reduce access to pre-K for Minnesota’s youngest learners, give tax breaks to the wealthiest Minnesotans and big tobacco companies, protect opioid manufacturers from taking responsibility for the opioid epidemic, against banning the harmful practice of conversion therapy, and blocked gun violence prevention legislation.
Notice a trend with the voting records? They’re all bad! Minnesotans deserve better!
Stay Tuned
Stay tuned after the debate for a recap from us highlighting all the jockeying for position and attempts by the candidates to draw distinctions between themselves despite all of them having the same rancid voting records.
And make sure you sign up to help us continue holding conservative gubernatorial candidates accountable.
