Your Primer on ‘Trump-ier Conservative’ Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson “trumped” Tim Pawlenty in last night’s GOP primary, and now many folks are asking, who is this Hennepin County commissioner who took down a two-term governor?
Well, since he made his support of Donald Trump the central issue of his primary campaign, you already know he’s unafraid to embrace the policies coming out of Washington that are hurting Minnesotans. Here are some other facts about the Republican nominee.
1. Jeff Johnson’s Policies Are Far Out of Mainstream Minnesota

• Johnson ran the most right wing primary in modern Minnesota history. To win the nomination he channeled his fringe views, looking to establish himself as the “truer, Trump-ier conservative.” He couldn’t keep up with Pawlenty’s 3-1 spending so instead he focused on appealing to his conservative base. While courting his far right cohorts, Jeff Johnson ignored mainstream Minnesotans.

2. Jeff Johnson Wants to Rip Away Healthcare from Minnesotans

• In an interview with the Pine and Lakes Echo Journal Johnson made clear he wants to pull the rug out from underneath 150,000 Minnesotans who rely on the state’s Medicaid expansion. Johnson attacked the protections for those with pre-existing conditions, saying Minnesota is “in a considerably worse place” after the ACA.  Johnson wants to rollback these protections that have made healthcare accessible for thousands of Minnesota families.

3. Jeff Johnson is a Threat to Woman’s Right to Choose

• Johnson made it clear he would restrict access to women’s health and sign a far-right “heartbeat” bill – a priority for right to life groups. With a Trump-appointed justice potentially willing to overturn Roe v. Wade, access to women’s healthcare will fall to governors to protect. Instead Johnson enthusiastically supports a “Heartbeat bill” that would essentially ban the procedure after the first six weeks of pregnancy, a time when most women do not even know they are pregnant.

4. Jeff Johnson Pushes Anti-Muslim Conspiracy Theories

• Johnson has been a champion of Trump’s most xenophobic policies and spent his campaign propagating bizarre conspiracy theories. Johnson bizarrely claimed that Muslims were trying to “infiltrate” Republican caucuses, right in line with some of the most fringe views from the depths of the internet.

“Jeff Johnson is a far-right extreme candidate, espousing conspiracy theories and disastrous policies for Minnesota,” said Democratic Governors Association Deputy Communications Director David Turner. “His out-of-the-mainstream policies pose a direct threat to thousands of Minnesota’s healthcare, women’s health, and economy. Minnesota deserves a governor that represents their values, not one who will drag Minnesota backwards.”

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