Mark Dayton’s new ad stresses fiscal responsibility

Former U.S. senator and current gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton released a new television ad Wednesday. Titled “Money Back,” it begins by reminding Minnesota voters why they likely recognize the candidate’s last name: his family’s old department store, Dayton’s, was a local mainstay before the name was changed to Marshall Fields and then later to Macy’s in the early 2000s. The ad compares the store’s “money-back guarantee” to electing Dayton to the governor’s office, highlighting his fiscal responsibility during his term as state auditor.

Minnesota’s gubernatorial race appears to be one of the few bright spots in a bleak midterm for Democrats. At the end of last week, Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight (now hosted by the New York Times) analyzed gubernatorial races throughout the country and predicted that Republicans would control 30 governor’s mansions after November. Minnesota was one of only a few seats leaning toward the Democratic column, with Silver’s model showing a 79 percent chance that Dayton defeats his Republican opponent Tom Emmer.

National Democrats will soon visit the state to help shore up Dayton’s chances against Emmer. Former President Bill Clinton will campaign with Dayton next week, with Vice President Joe Biden scheduled to visit the state in early October. It was recently reported that President Obama will campaign in Minnesota at some point before Election Day, though no date has been announced, nor has it been confirmed that he will be there to campaign with Dayton.

Watch it:

Patrick Caldwell is the American Independent’s Minnesota correspondent.