No Candidate Endorsed By DFL in 8th District Congressional Race

After Ten Ballots, all Five DFL Candidates Failed to Reach Sixty Percent of the Vote

DULUTH, Minn.- No DFL endorsement was given to any of the five congressional candidates at the endorsement convention Saturday in Duluth.

The race will now come down to a primary election on August 14th.

After ten ballots were counted, no candidate reached sixty percent of the vote needed for the endorsement.

On the tenth ballot, Leah Phifer was leading the way at forty-eight percent, followed by Joe Radinovich at forty-two percent.

Hundreds of people gathered at the downtown Duluth Holiday Inn to endorse one of the five democratic candidates for US Congress.

Among those running are Kirsten Hagen Kennedy, Michelle Lee, Jason Metsa, Leah Phifer and Joe Radinovich

“This is a time when one hundred and fifty two people who have been selected from their unit delegations across the district come to have their voices heard. So it doesn’t require a lot of money, it requires a lot of time, energy, and commitment to the grass roots” said candidate Leah Phifer.

In order to receive the DFL endorsement, the candidate needs sixty percent of the vote.

“It’s important to show up and if we get that 60% then we can rally behind a candidate now and not go through a primary” said CD 8 Chair, Justin Perpich.

Keep in mind that today’s elections were not a nomination but solely an endorsement. The primary elections will take place on august fourteenth.