Gonna turn our attention now to the only open congressional seat in Minnesota, the third district, currently represented by retiring Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips.

Located west of Minneapolis, it's made up of Hennepin County suburbs and a piece of Anoka County.

The district includes some of the wealthiest communities in the state.

Been a quiet race so far, no big attack ads or smear campaigns or deep fakes on social media.

It's been so quiet, in fact, that tonight's Almanac debate is the first and only debate between these two candidates since the race began.

Before we meet the two candidates, quick word for those of you watching at home.

We call this a debate, but really a conversation.

No stopwatches.

Opening or closing statements, no coin flips, no short straw.

So let's get started.

DFLer Kelly Morrison resigned her state Senate seat earlier this year to run for Congress.

Her legislative career began in 2019, in the House.

She is a doctor and a resident of Deep Haven.

Republican Tad Jude's career in public service began as a DFLer in the state legislature throughout the 70s 80s.

Also, time as a Hennepin County Commissioner, most recently as a nonpartisan judge and a congressional candidate.

So here we go.

Senator, what will you support in the way of abortion related legislation in Congress?

Or are you content to leave it to the states?

Well, thanks so much for having us tonight.

It's great to be here to have this conversation.

You know, I'm an ObGyn by training.

I spent most of my career as a doctor, not a politician, and part of the reason I ran for office in the first place was because Donald Trump ran on appointing justices to the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe versus Wade.

That's what he said he'd do.

That's what he did, and that's what happened.

And we've watched the maternal health crisis unfold across the country.

So as the only Ob-Gyn in the Minnesota legislature, I helped lead the effort to protect abortion rights here in our state.

And I would hope to take that fight to the federal level so that all American women have access to reproductive freedom.

Mr. Jude, what about you?

What would you vote for?

What would you oppose as far as abortion legislation is crned?

Abortion has been decided by the U.S. Supreme Court as a state issue, and I see it as a state issue.

It's not on my agenda in Washington.

What would be on my agenda is attacking the cost of living, having a Minnesota affordable plan that we can address in Washington and have a real impact on.

But as far as abortion goes, that's a state issue.

Health care.

I support health care for everyone and, paid for.

Paid for how?

Well, I look at it, as something that men need.

Women need, children need senior citizens need needs to be affordable.

And we do have some problems in our country with health care.

One is we're spending 20% of our gross national product on health care.

We don't have the life expectancy in our country that other countries like Japan or France or other countries have spent far less on health care.

We don't have transparency.

And what do want to do?

What we need to do is bring transparency to health care.

We need to bring more accessibility, but better cost controls through the system.

Health care.

You're a doctor.

What should we do?

Yeah, well, you know, for years, I watched my patients struggle to afford the medications that they need.

So when I got to the legislature, I took on the high cost of prescription drugs.

I passed bipartisan legislation, a drug price Transparency Act that makes pharmaceutical companies report to our Department of Health why they price certain high priced drugs the way they do.

very proud of the legislation I did, and I worked with the Republican senator to get that passed.

The information that we got from that law and for future legislation that I chief authored and then passed in the last session, called the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, that will is empowered to set upper payment limits for certain high cost drugs that create an affordability challenge for patients or for our health care system.

We've got huge opportunity in the prescription drug space at the national level, too.

We now have a new law that Congress passed that allows Medicare to negotiate ten drugs, the price of ten drugs.

That's a huge advance.

We need to expand that list.

And I'd like to dig into that at the at the federal level.

How will you vote on extending those tax cuts that went into effect not so long ago?

I think next year.

Well, absolutely.

The tax cuts that went into effect four years ago, I will vote to extend those.

I'll also support excluding Social Security income from tax.

I know my opponent voted to increase, continue the tax on Social Security in Minnesota.

And that's where we have a real difference of opinions.

Secondly, I, I support, excluding tips, from income taxes as well.

You know, the the not to interrupt, but the the debt is $35.8 trillion.

And there's all kinds of mandatorspending for Social Sec, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits.

- Absolutely.

All of that.

Absolutely.

And that's where.

Where’s all this money going to come from to reduce the trillion dollars of debt here?

Yeah, that that's where my opponent and I differ.

I'm going to be fiscally responsible in what we do in Washington where need we need to cut spending.

I mean, I look at things like feeding our future fraud that had federal money included.

Southwest light rail that has federal money included.

There are areas that aren't managed well, but the state of Minnesota had a 40% increase in the size of state government.

Through the whole history of the state, we haven't had a 40% increase in the size of state government, and my opponent’s vote has been part and parcel of that.

Let her let her defend herself.

Eric, we need a tax policy that works for all Minnesotans.

What we don't need are tax cuts for billionaires and wealthy hedge funds.

We have a lot of opportunity, the prescription drug space is a big opportunity that will save individuals money, and it will save our health care system millions of dollars.

If we can expand that list of drugs that Medicare can negotiate.

We also have a big opportunity in closing some loopholes.

We have a big oil loophole that, to the tune of about $35 billion.

We have the carried interest loophole.

And we also have the Buffett Rule.

That's another opportunity so that a CEO is making a $100 million, doesn't it doesn't pay, pays a lower effective tax rate than than his or her secretary.

That, I believe would save us $119 billion.

So we've got lots of opportunity to tighten up the budget and make sure that our tax policy is benefiting families and not the wealthiest among us.

Your district includes the Mall of America and Southdale.

Yeah.

So I wonder if you're going to be particularly sensitive to things like minimum wage.

I think it’s $7.25 at the federal level now, more in Minnesota.

Trade with with China.

Supply chain stuff, tariffs.

How are you going to respond when the concerns of the workers and the owners and the shop owners of those two malls come to Tad Jude and say, help us?

Well, what we need to do is have congressional representation and in the mold of Bill Frenzel, Jim Ramstad, Eric Paulson.

And that's what I'll bring to Washington.

My opponent voted to increase the sales tax, for example, a $10 billion sales tax or tax increase for the state of Minnesota went through an $18 billion surplus.

And it was the one vote that was the difference in the state Senate.

And that's the kind of mentality we can't have in Washington.

We can't increase the federal budget 40%.

I mean, that would be.

I was asking about tariffs and trade.

And I that's, that's a part of that budgeting issue that will be before us in Washington.

Now, as far as tariffs go, there are countries that do subsidize industries such as China.

And I, I know the Biden administration has continued tariffs that were put in place by the previous administration.

I would support continuing those tariffs.

I would add Dean Phillips to the list.

There is a proud history in the third district of bipartisan representation.

Bill Frenzel, Jim Ramstad, Dean Phillips, as well as Eric Paulson all did a really great job of representing everyone in the district, reaching across the aisle, being very present in the district.

Dean Phillips, particularly.

Those are big shoes to fill.

He's a pro-business Democrat.

He's worked with Democrats and Republicans, and that's what my record has been in the state legislature.

I think my record speaks for itself.

I've worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass more than 90 bills in the time that I was in the state legislature.

I want to ask you both about how you fit the district.

And I wonder, Mr. Jude, if, some of your past stances on social issues might make you a little out of step with the district?

You how do you finesse that?

You know, I have door knocked over 100,000 homes in the district.

The district knows me well.

I know the district exceptionally well.

I was first elected to the legislature as a nonpartisan legislator.

I was elected as a nonpartisan member of the county board.

I served as a nonpartisan district court judge.

And I have to give Dean Phillips credit because he had the courage he had the leadership to point out an obvious issue on the national stage in the right way, at the right time.

Senator Morrison was not there to help him.

She chose a partisan answer to that, as opposed to what was for the good of the country.

You can't take a partisan stand as opposed to what really suits the needs of the country, to point out that we need a new president.

It was obvious to everyone, particularly Congressman Phillips.

And, you were not there to support him.

You were there to support was obviously was not in the interests of our country.

And you did that in the legislature with your voting record?

No.

You should check my voting record because it's pretty bipartisan.

Absolutely.

The question was, do you fit the district?

And I wonder with the you took a series of liberal votes, when you were passing this agenda in 2023 session, state session.

And I wonder if you're a little too far left for the district.

You know, I've spent my career most of my career as a doctor, not a politician.

And when I first ran for office, as I mentioned earlier, because I knew what Trump's presidency would mean for reproductive health care for the American women, and I was proud to help lead the effort to protect reproductive freedom here in Minnesota.

I flipped a seat that had never been held by a Democrat before by 216 votes, with 83% voter turnout.

So I'm very used to representing areas that have political diversity.

You know, I grew up in a Republican family.

I'm a lifelong Democrat.

So we didn't always agree in my family, but we always still loved and respected each other.

And sometimes we even learned something from each other.

So we need to get to a place in our country where we're doing more listening than talking, and then we're talking with each other and not at each other.

I think there's real hunger for that across the country, and certainly there is in the third district.

People want their leaders to be solving problems rather than fighting with each other.

What are you thinking about the election producing a divide?

I'm trying to figure out how to say this.

A divided government.

And you might.

There might not be a trifecta in Washington, and I. I think divided government.

- Does that change your approach there?

You know, I've been accustomed to working with governors of my party, and I've also been accustomed to holdingovernors of my party accountable.

And I have I would relish that opportunity in Washington to work with the administration, but if necessary, hold the administration accountable.

And that's regardless of who gets elected president.

And that's what a good member of Congress would do.

I would not be a rubber stamp for a political party like my opponent.

My opponent in her voting record has been taking a one Minnesota and has divided it.

Minnesota is no longer a one Minnesota.

They would not listen to Republicans in the legislature on any budget issue, on virtually any issue that had any consequence.

My voting record, and my, my record in the legislature is pretty clear.

I worked with Republican legislators multiple times to press to pass significant legislation, including the Drug Price Transparency Act, including a reform of the prior authorization process.

And I pass one of the bills I'm most proud of that was passed into law, was a bill to extend health insurance to new moms and their babies from just 60 days to 12 months postpartum.

And I got that done with a very conservative Republican senator who differed with me on abortion.

We were on different sides of that issue.

But we did agree that new moms and their babies deserve access to health care.

So we set our differences aside, and we focused on what we agreed on.

I think we need more of that kind of bridge building in Washington.

There was a van in Edina that was wide open in the back and had a bunch of ballots in it.

And I think the Republicans had a news conference this week saying, this can't stand.

And I think there was no tampering.

And they fired the courier that was doing that.

But, what's your level of comfort with, sort of the election integrity issue?

You know, I have been on the ballot a number of times.

Most of the times I’ve won of course.

I have had some, you know, close races.

I've lost some close races.

I have never a for a recount.

I have never disputed the election returns or the integrity of the process.

However, I think things are being played kind of fast and loose out there right now.

You've got ballots out in a parking lot in Edina.

You're having pop up voting stands.

I think everybody's eyes have to be on the ballots this year.

Just so everybody is is secure in the outcome.

I think in these very divided and hyperpartisan times, it's incredibly important that our elected leaders are careful with their words.

We're seeing what's happening at the top of the ticket on the Republican side, using dangerous rhetoric.

We need to, leaders need to speak in respectful and dignified manner.

We need to protect our democracy.

It is under threat right now.

And it's incredibly important that people who everyone who is eligible to vote should participate.

Our democracy works best when everyone participates.

Can we talk about crime a little bit?

Maybe focused on the juvenile aspect of it, which seems to be a growing problem?

Yeah.

In the third district.

We've got to take public safety and crime head on.

And that's why I supported a $300 million investment in local law enforcement across the state.

So the police, fire and our 911 departments have the resources they need to do their job well.

I also coauthored legislation to crack down on violent carjackings.

And of course, I helped pass gun violence prevention laws, universal criminal background checks, and extreme risk protection orders to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Now, we need reforms at the federal level, too.

We need to pass the COPS Reauthorization Act, and we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban.

That’s a real distinction with my opponent who has an A rating from the NRA.

I think, Governor Walz had an A rating from the NRA.

From what I understand.

And we need to address mental health.

We need to address gun locks.

I support the Second Amendment and common sense legislation within that framework.

Getting to the issue of public safety, we need to have the backs of the men and women in blue, and I will do that.

When it came to public safety legislation in the House they threw out community service workers from from our schools, the police did not feel comfortable in our schools, and that was under legislation passed by my opponent.

You know, my husband is an Army combat veteran.

Well, he comes from a long tradition of military service.

I don't want you to be talked over.

Finish up real quick and then we'll let Senator comment.

It doesn't make sense to not support our men and women in blue.

I think we've paid a high price in Minnesota as a result of that.

I just was going to say to suggest that I don't support law enforcement.

It's disrespectful to me and my family, I think.

My husband is an Army combat veteran.

He comes from a long tradition in military service.

My father in law is one of my heroes.

He was disabled in Vietnam.

I have the utmost respect for people who put on a uniform to protect our communities and our country.

And I stand with law enforcement.

Supreme Court.

There's going to be, I think, an effort to, maybe add more justices or have age or term limits on the Supreme Court.

What what are your thoughts on that?

Well, as someone who has been a judge for 11 years, I feel it has to be nonpartisan.

I think any issue before the courts have to be decided on the facts, on the law, on the Constitution.

I do not support court packing.

Our Supreme Court is at historic lows of public opinion, which is so sad.

I think about when I was growing up, the Supreme Court was the pinnacle of, of justice and evenness and fairness.

They were the best and the brightest, and it's become an absolute partisan tool.

So I'm open to court reform.

I'd have to look at what the ideas were, but I am open to coueform.

And at a minimum, they should be held to an ethics standard that is very transparent.

Do members of Congress have a role in easing the temperature, reducing polarization?

Bringing compromise back is something that happens once in a while.

And what might what might that role be for a member of Congress?

Absolutely.

We need to start with members of Congress being interested in governing and solving problems, rather than becoming social media celebrities, and stoking the flames of division.

It's really important that leaders conduct themselves with respect and dignity.

Our kids are watching and they're watching adults behave badly.

That's a starting point.

And as I said, I've been proud to work with, Republicans, in the state legislature.

I happened to be related to several Republicans.

I love Republicans, so that would be a mission of mine if I had the honor of serving, in Congress to to find Republicans who could work, I could work with and who would work with me.

And you're a former Democrat.

Yes, I am, and I was born and raised a Democrat.

Well, what has to happen to kind of tone down the temperature a little bit?

Well, I, I think we just need to work to find common sense solutions to problems.

And I've always tried to do that.

I've worked across the aisle, I've worked with Republicans, I’ve worked with Democrats.

What you need to do is show some leadership, occasionally you even need to challenge your party.

That's where my opponent and I differ.

I have challenged my party on important issues at times.

It takes courage.

Dean Phillips did that.

That’s what the congressman, the next congressman from the third district should do is occasionally challenge their own party.

I have done that.

My opponent hasn't.

And that's what can bring people together.

Real quick.

I have stood up to my party on multiple occasions, but let's be clear why you became a Republican.

It was because of the abortion issue.

If the people of the third district should know that I am a, I will stand up for a woman's right to make her own health care decisions, and my opponent will not.

Abortion is a state issue.

It's not on my agenda.

It’s a human issue, sir.

- What is on my agenda is making Minnesota affordable again.

We're going to do that by cutting spending, cutting taxes, clean energy sources, and creating high paying jobs.

So the options would be to keep the states involved in the decision making on abortion or a ban I suppose at the congressional level or some kind of, more liberal, pro-choice legislation.

How do you parse where it might be headed?

There's already a bill in Congress now called the Women's Health Protection Act that would codify Roe versus Wade so that those protections would return to all American women.

We're seeing a maternal health crisis unfold across our country.

This is harmful to women.

This is harmful to families.

This is interfering with people's ability to have children in the future.

There is so much nuance in these issues.

These decisions have to be between a woman and her doctor.

You know, it is not the federal legislation that's going to solve that issue.

It is a state issue.

It is not on my agenda.

What is on my agenda is making Minnesota affordable again, including affordable health care, an ability to buy a home or rent an apartment, put food on the table, put gas in the car, pay insurance bills, pay property taxes.

These are things that we can have and make a difference on.

And that is my agenda to make Minnesota affordable again.

What have you thought of President Trump?

You know, I will work with whoever is president and if needed, I will hold them accountable.

That's what I've done as a legislator with governors of my own party.

I have held them accountable when we have had to do that.

And I will do that regardless of Kamala Harris orsident Trump are elected this fall.

Your thoughts on President Trump.

This is a watershed moment in the history of our country.

And I really believe that when Americans get in the voting booth, they're going to they're going to choose democracy and freedom and vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

Having Walz on the ticket, is that a boost to the Democrats?

In your district?

- I think so, I think he's doing a great job.

I think Minnesotans, regardless of your political affiliation, are proud that we have someone on the national ticket.

And I think he's representing us well.

Well I do hear about Governor Walz once in a while.

I think he's raised a couple credibility issues here in the last, last month or two.

Transportation might be an issue where you can bring some something back to the third district.

Where are you going to be on, you know, rapid transit bus, light rail, other things that will come down the pike?

Transportation is one of those issues.

We've been talking about affordability.

And I'm really I've been laser focused on prescription drugs, child care, housing make it shoring up our supply chains and making sure that we're investing in our workforce.

We need more apprenticeships.

We need to get away from the one size fits all for your college education, we need to be investing in apprenticeships.

Transportation is a piece of that.

How do you get to work?

I'm a big fan of bus rapid transit.

I love how versatile and changeable it is.

So there will be lots of opportunities for infrastructure improvements in the 3rd.

Light rail will be coming to Eden Prairie.

When?

You tell me when.

- You stumped me.

It's like ten years delayed and at least two, if not three times what the original price was.

What would be your general stance on transit then?

It should be managed well.

I think we've had some issues in terms of management, not only in building it, but in operating light rail and, and I remember it when it was first, designed, they took everybody out to Portland, Oregon, to see their system.

They didn't have any turnstiles.

They don't have any barriers to get out of the platform, get onto the light rail.

Well, we have the Portland, Oregon system here in Minnesota now.

We've got about a minute left, minute and a half.

Is it the end of the world if President Trump is reelected?

It's not the end of the world.

I am a proud American.

We are a unique history in the country, in the history of the world.

And we've been through hard things, and we'd get through that, too.

But I'm confident the American people are going to choose Kamala Harris.

And if Kamala Harris wins, is it as bad as President Trump says it might be?

You know, I'm going to work with whoever is president and hold them accountable.

And we will do that and we'll bring back the American dream.

What do you think a turnout can be if you've got high information voters in your decision?

I think it's going to be high.

What are you hearing at the doors?

Enthusiasm?

The third district often sets records for voter turnout.

It's a very engaged district.

We're hearing about the same things that you're hearing about in the national level.

We're hearing about reproductive rights.

We're hearing about concerns about democracy.

We're hearing about the economy.

All kinds of things.

The third is engaged and fired up.

What are you hearing at the door?

You know, I hear about the economy.

I hear about not being able to pay rent or not being able to buy a home, not being able to get food, enough food on the table.

How to buy a gasoline for the car, pay for insurance and that's what we're going to address.

Make Minnesota affordable again.

Okay, third district congressional race, November 5th and get out and vote or not as you choose.

Thank you both.

Best of luck on the trail here.

Thank you sir.

Thank you.