Outside money floods into statewide, legislative races

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Outside political groups are flooding the airwaves in Minnesota’s statewide and local legislative races.

The governor’s race is the top prize in next week’s election, but all 134 House seats are up for grabs and a special election in one state Senate will determine control of that chamber. Campaign finance records released Tuesday show millions of dollars funding those efforts.

Liberal group Alliance for a Better Minnesota has spent $4.1 million attacking GOP governor candidate Jeff Johnson. The GOP-aligned Freedom Club has spent nearly $1.5 million on attack ads against Democratic hopeful Rep. Tim Walz.

The records also show money fueling the fight for the Legislature. Republicans currently control both chambers but Democrats are targeting an open St. Cloud-area Senate seat and more than a dozen mostly suburban House seats.