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ST. PAUL — Republican nominee for Minnesota Secretary of State Kim Crockett, who is running on a platform of skepticism about the state’s election system, has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
In a post to his alternative Twitter platform Truth Social on Tuesday, Oct. 25, Trump said Crockett would be the best person to administer Minnesota’s elections, which he baselessly claimed were plagued with fraud.
“Kim will get to the bottom of that, and so much else," Trump said in the post. "It’s time we had a smart and dedicated fighter in that very important position. Kim Crockett has my Complete & Total Endorsement. She will not let you down!!!”
In a statement, Crockett said she did not expect the former president’s backing.
“I was surprised to learn this morning that President Trump endorsed me. I appreciate this unexpected vote of confidence,” Crockett said. “The most important endorsement will be Minnesota voters who choose me to be their new Secretary of State. I promise the office will be a nonpartisan operation that guards every eligible vote, no matter your party affiliation.”
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National debate over election integrity fed by baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election has propelled normally sleepy races for Secretary of State into the spotlight, as the office oversees the administration of elections in most states. Numerous examinations of the 2020 election have found no evidence of the fraud that Trump claims cost him reelection to the White House.
Crockett is running largely on the premise that the current election system is vulnerable to fraud and manipulation while DFLer Steve Simon, who is running for his third term as Secretary of State, has spent much of his time on the campaign trail trying to dispel myths about the election system and boosting confidence in Minnesota election administration.
In an Oct. 2 debate between Crockett and Simon on WCCO radio, Crockett dodged a question on whether she would accept the results of the November election, calling the question “odd.” Simon immediately said he would accept the results, but Crockett did not clarify her position until five days after the debate, when she issued a statement saying she would also accept the outcome.
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin issued a statement Tuesday condemning Trump’s endorsement of Crockett.
“Just like Donald Trump, Kim Crockett is spreading dangerous lies about election fraud that undermine faith in democracy and tear at the fabric of our society,” Martin said. “Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, claims which Crockett has echoed, directly led to a violent attempt to overthrow the United States government.”
Crockett, who previously served as vice president and general counsel for the Center of the American Experiment, a Minnesota conservative think tank, said she would back voter identification efforts in the Minnesota Legislature, cross-check voter registration lists against other databases, review ballot security for absentee ballots and require random post-election audits.
Asked last week whether she believed the 2020 election was "rigged," she told reporters that Simon's expansion of absentee ballots in response to the pandemic was "lawless," and added: "I don't think we'll ever know precisely what happened."
Simon, meanwhile, says he takes pride in Minnesota’s status as No. 1 in the nation for voter turnout for the last three elections — nearly 80% in 2020 — and hopes if elected to another term that he can work toward boosting that number further by increasing transparency, access and confidence in the system.
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Simon has enjoyed a considerable cash advantage for the entire election cycle, and has the support of national groups. One group called iVote is spending $2 million on TV ads in support of Simon in Minnesota, Politico reported, outside spending Crockett has decried as “dark money.” Crockett has not enjoyed Simon's level of outside backing. Recent polls have rated the Secretary of State contest as a toss-up.
While Trump had endorsed GOP congressional candidates Pete Stauber, Michelle Fischbach and Tom Emmer, all incumbents, Crockett was his first statewide endorsement in the 2022 general election. He later endorsed GOP nominee for Governor Scott Jensen Tuesday night.
This story has been updated at 1:18 a.m. on Oct. 26 to reflect that GOP governor pick Scott Jensen is now also endorsed by Trump. It was originally posted at 4:31 p.m. on Oct. 25.
