ST. PAUL, Minn. — The gubernatorial campaign for Rebecca Otto had an awkward moment Thursday after reports surfaced that an endorsement touted by her campaign did not occur.
On Facebook, the Otto campaign sponsored a tweet sharing the news that WCCO radio personality and meteorologist Paul Douglas had endorsed her campaign for governor.
“I’m pleased to announce the endorsement of my Minnesota-Powered Jobs and Clean Energy Plan by none other than Minnesota’s own Paul Douglas! Paul is a Republican and I am a Democrat but something we agree on is the need to work across the aisle to find some real solutions to our big problems like climate change,” Otto’s campaign writes in the post published Friday morning. “It’s something I’ve always done, and something I’ll do as your governor.”
While the post suggests Douglas endorses Otto, Blois Olson of Morning Take states the meteorologist had no clue the the ad or so-called endorsement had been posted and sponsored.
“I’m a moderate Republican looking for ways to support my party,” Douglas told Olson. “I haven’t endorsed Rebecca Otto’s run for governor but I thought her clean energy plan was creative and forward-thinking, pricing all externalities, removing subsidies across the board and making this revenue-neutral: every Minnesota household gets a check, a rebate. The distinction may be lost on some but I endorsed her energy plan, not her candidacy. I can only hope that a GOP candidate has a similarly bold plan that acknowledges the cost-savings, environmental impacts and inevitability of a clean energy future. Clean air, clean water and a stable climate shouldn’t be open to debate.”
Despite the news, the post remains on Otto’s Facebook page for governor. It has more than 1,100 likes with more than 120 shares.
Preya Samsundar
Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.
