The Minnesota DFL Party said Monday that Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis would “push an uncompromising partisan agenda” if he were sent back to Washington.
The party pointed to a recent interview in which Lewis declined to name a Trump policy that he disagrees with.
“Well, good policy is good politics. And I agree with his policies, so why would I oppose anything?” Lewis said on WCCO.
In response, DFL Chairman Ken Martin said all Lewis wants to do “is go back to Washington and push an uncompromising partisan agenda—even if it means supporting policies that hurt Minnesota families.”
“Minnesotans don’t want a Senator who is going to try and take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions or cut critical programs like Social Security and Medicare. They want a Senator who is going to always put the people of Minnesota first and who will work across parties to get things done – and that’s Senator Tina Smith,” Martin said in a statement.
The DFL again accused Lewis of embracing cuts to Social Security and Medicare in a statement posted to Twitter, prompting some heated exchanges between Martin and Lewis.
Minnesotans don’t want a Senator like Jason Lewis who is going to try and take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions or cut critical programs like Social Security and Medicare.https://t.co/0yE1dNHt1w
— Minnesota DFL Party (@MinnesotaDFL) February 10, 2020
“Minnesota DFL and Tina Smith are scared when they unroll the usual debunked Social Security and Medicare lies. Funny they bill my support of Donald Trump as a bad thing—big mistake. Ken Martin is hardly a mastermind though. He infamously and publicly wrote off the Iron Range for good in ‘16,” Lewis said.
Martin said the DFL under his leadership has “consistently outraised and out organized the Minnesota GOP and its candidates every year.”
“I haven’t lost a statewide race and I look forward to once and for all retiring you from politics, which frankly you’re not very good at anyways,” Martin wrote on Twitter.
Jason, not only has the DFL under my leadership consistently out raised and out organized the @mngop and it's candidates every year, I haven't lost a statewide race and I look forward to once and for all retiring you from politics, which frankly you're not very good at anyways.
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) February 10, 2020
Lewis then said he was “unimpressed by the special interest money” being “funneled in from corporations and special interests like Planned Parenthood” to the DFL.
“In fact, we’re appalled. But we know you’re scared,” said Lewis.
Ken, unimpressed by the special interest $$ you & Tina are getting funneled in from corporations & special interests like Planned Parenthood. In fact, we're appalled.
But we know you're scared. @kenmartin73, Oct. '19: "we can't keep up" w GOP efforts.https://t.co/NOvkmwEcuE https://t.co/yQh0cEcSmY
— Jason Lewis (@LewisForMN) February 10, 2020
Lewis, a former congressman from Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, was unseated by Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) after one term in 2018. He announced in August that he would run against Smith, who is up for reelection this year.
Lewis criticized Smith for voting to convict President Donald Trump last week at the conclusion of the Senate’s impeachment trial.
“Senator Tina Smith has proven once and for all that she is all-in with the unhinged radicals that have taken over the Democratic Party,” he said.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Jason Lewis” by Jason Lewis.
