Harry Johnson Jr., 84, a plastic surgeon from Edina, voted for Paulsen Tuesday and for Trump in 2016. Johnson said he agreed with both Trump’s economic and immigration policies and likes the president’s demeanor because he “really tells it how it is.”
In the 2nd District, Craig narrowly defeated former conservative talk show host Lewis who focused his campaign around GOP tax cuts and attacking the Affordable Care Act.
Voter Oliver Jorbedom, 56, an immigrant from Nigeria, commented on this election: “The fact that people are more divided is a problem. This is why many people came to [America] because it was a home for everyone. I would like to see a more united nation.”
Carol, 73, an Eagan resident, said Lewis’ attacks on the former healthcare executive [Craig] were the deciding factor for her vote.
“Brag about yourself all you want, but don’t call your opponent a dirty dog,” she said. Lewis’ latest attack ad alluded that Craig worked for corrupt companies.
Carol said she finds the political climate today as the most “unsettling” it has been in a while. The retiree, who volunteers at the library – which served as a polling location – said she is “still optimistic” for our nation and loosely recited a quote from George R.R. Martin: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.”
Illinois
In Illinois, J.B. Pritzker won the governor’s race in a landslide, clenching a Democratic victory in an ugly race against incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
At Chicago polls, many voters expressed reservations about Pritzker, but said that Rauner needed to go.
“[Rauner] had a chance and didn’t get anything done,” Chicago voter Dorothea Flores said. “It’s time for someone else.”
The race set a new record as the most expensive gubernatorial race in U.S. history, just passing the 2010 California race, with more than $284 million raised by both candidates.
Most of the money was contributed by the candidates themselves, both of whom are extremely wealthy men who spent much of the campaign addressing their concern for the working class.
Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotel chain, has a net worth of approximately $3.4 billion, while Rauner, who headed his own private equity firm before becoming governor, is worth several hundred million dollars.
“They’re both rich guys,” Chicago voter Edna Wilmer said, “but healthcare is important to me, so I voted for Pritzker.”
Pritzker’s win was fueled by a deep dissatisfaction with Rauner’s inability to reach a fiscal compromise with the Democratic state Legislature during his single term, leaving the state without a budget for two and a half years. The stalemate only ended when enough Republican lawmakers agreed to join Democrats in voting to override Rauner’s budget veto.
In the meantime, Illinois’ credit rating was almost downgraded junk, and many state agencies had to cut services.
Rauner called Pritzker less than an hour after polls closed to concede. In his concession speech, he told Pritzker, “Godspeed. I hope and pray you serve Illinois well.”
In the highly-watched race for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District seat, Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Bost defeated Democrat Brendan Kelly. With 585 out of 649 precincts reporting, Bost had 119,826 (53.4 percent) votes compared to 97,765 (43.5 percent) for Kelly.
“I know what it’s like to work across the aisle and I will continue to do that,” Bost told his supporters during his acceptance speech. “We’ve got to move this nation forward. I believe over the last two years we’ve done that and we’ve done that well.”
Cindy Kistler of Columbia, said she supported Bost.
“[Number 1,] I don’t want my taxes to go up for one and I know he’s not going to raise it,” Kistler said. “Number 2, he supports right-to-work.”
K.J., a man from Belleville, said he supported Kelley, saying it was time for a change.
“I don’t like the fact that Illinois has gone how many years without a budget, has gone just years being stagnant,” he said. “I think that’s part of the infighting at the very top.”
Michigan
In Michigan, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, the former state Senate Minority Leader, was victorious over Michigan’s Attorney General Bill Schuette in the governor’s race.
In the hotly contested 8th Congressional District, the most expensive political race in state history ended with Democrat Elissa Slotkin narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Mike Bishop, who conceded around 1 a.m. EST.
Michigan voters flocked to the polls on a blustery Tuesday to cast their votes.
Candice Christian from Brighton said she voted for Republicans straight down the line with the hope that they can help the local economy.
“My job went to Mexico. I worked for Magna International almost 10 years. I work 7 days a week, 12 hour days,” Christian said, her voice cracking. “And then all of the sudden they pick it up and take it to Mexico.”
In spite of that, she thinks Republicans are doing a good job in power, and voted for Trump in 2016.
“When he came down that escalator, man, I jumped for joy,” Christian said. “Things aren’t great but they’re a whole lot better than they were.”
“I think it’s unfortunate how they’ve treated his family. Look what he gave up, he gave up a lifestyle…they call him a crook. He’s a thief. No. Barack Obama was a thief, I mean, with all the money that was stolen…especially on Medicare…$800 billion dollars he stole from Medicare, to give to the Iran[ians].”
Another voter, Carrie from Brighton, supported Slotkin because of frustration with elected officials but said she wouldn’t commit to vote the whole Democratic slate.
“I’m totally split ballot,” she said. “I’m voting Libertarian [Bill Gelineau]. That was a difficult decision. I’m a pro-life person but I don’t like Schuette, and I don’t like Whitmer’s harsh stance on abortion.”
Another voter, Wally, said he voted “Neither Bishop or Slotkin so I chose the third.”
He voted for Whitmer for governor.
“He’s [Schuette] been in the political realm for a while. Going between the both of them, I gave it to her. So, we’ll see.”
Lorraine Bailey, Dionne Cordell-Whitney, Traci Rork, Joe Harris, Rox Laird, Andy Olesko and David Wells contributed to this report.
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