Barry Casselman is a political commentator and writer based in Minnesota who specializes in electoral politics and campaign analysis. He contributed political commentary to The Weekly Standard from 1998 to 2017, with particular focus on Minnesota politics and national elections. He is also known for his independent political blog and commentary on American electoral trends.
There has been national attention to a local squabble in Minnesota over the appointment of state supreme court associate justice David Stras to a federal appeals court by President Donald Trump.
Minneapolis
In one of the few congressional districts where Republicans have a serious opportunity to pick up a House seat from the Democrats, the prospects for Minnesota GOP challenger Stewart Mills are looking even better than an appraisal made in The WEEKLY STANDARD six weeks ago.
Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Following the 2014 elections, Congressman John Kline remains the major and senior elected figure in the Minnesota Republican party. The powerful chairman of the House education committee, he will be a central figure in the reform measures ahead to improve the nation’s faltering public school…
Minneapolis
In 1978, Republicans in Minnesota, astonishingly, won all three statewide races: both Senate seats and the governorship. It became known by DFLers (Democrats here run as Democratic-Farmer-Laborites) as the “Minnesota massacre.” Republicans preferred to call it their Minnesota miracle. This year…
Minneapolis
Minneapolis
Former Republican governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii might win one of the major upsets in the U.S. Senate 2012 elections. As the most popular GOP figure in state history and an extraordinary campaigner, I suggest this despite the fact that Hawaii is one of the most Democratic states in the nation,…
St. Paul
As Venezuelan President-for-life Chavez strutted around Italy recently as if he were playing Benito Mussolini, his Honduran wannabe, deposed President Zelaya, continued to receive strong support and advocacy from the Obama administration. Speaking for the United States, Secretary of State Hillary…
St. Paul
Minneapolis
St. Paul
ST. PAUL Five years ago, the Democratic mayor of St. Paul switched parties. The move was scripted to be a disaster for the party Norm Coleman was leaving. He had worked under two popular Democratic attorneys general, then was elected mayor of the state capital. Clearly a political talent, Coleman…
THE REELECTION OF NORM COLEMAN as mayor of St. Paul passed almost unnoticed in the national coverage of November's races. First elected as a Democrat in 1993, Coleman switched parties a year ago. Yet he never caught the eye of Beltway pundits. The national media paid attention to just two East…