I was totally sure about who I am going to vote for in the primary… until today when I read a thread written by people whose politics I really respect. Ugh.

Backing up: I have been on team Erin – Erin Murphy and Erin Maye Quade – since Murphy announced she was running. I have admired her work and advocacy for years, ever since I met her at the Capitol when I was there for a lobbying day. She is passionate, funny, and really smart. She is also one of the more sincere feeling politicians I have met, and I’ve been lucky/unlucky enough to meet a lot of politicians. I felt the same way with Paul Wellstone. It’s not common. I like the “politics of joy” message.

Friends are supporting Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan. They trust that Walz has changed on gun regulations (he used to have an A rating from the NRA). They think he would be good for education, which I’m not 100% convinced of. More importantly, they also argue that since he is not from the metro, he has a wider appeal to voters who are not from the Twin Cities and, thus, he is the most electable candidate.

Electability is a really big deal, because I believe strongly that our political leadership has been a bulwark against the negative effects Wisconsin has seen since “going red.” We had ongoing budget problems with Pawlenty and funding lagged tremendously. With Dayton, we’ve improved our budget situation and we have a stronger economy and better opportunities than just across the border in Wisconsin. I wouldn’t want to teach in Wisconsin. I’m worried about what a Pawlenty or Johnson administration would do to our state, especially with the national political shit show.

Another concern is Lori Swanson and Rick Nolan – I definitely hope the Dems don’t split the vote enough that they squeak through. I am unimpressed with the way Swanson got into this race and I think she is too weak on important issues. Nolan’s history of creating a negative work environment for women is awful, and Swanson’s response to that news was… not good.

So I’m stuck trying to decide between who I want and who might be a better candidate, even though I’m not sure. I’m excited about Erin Murphy; that energy is important. I’d support Walz or even Swanson if it came to that – both are far better than a Pawlenty or Johnson governorship. As I’ve been writing, it’s kind of helped me consider all of the angles. I’m still feeling unsure.

I wonder if a lot of Dems had similar trouble making a decision in the primary in 2016 – lots of people liked Bernie but thought Hillary had a better chance. I don’t know if that comparison is apt for my dilemma now, especially since I wasn’t super-excited about either 2016 candidate. I was just worried about Trump.

So that’s where I am. Thank goodness there is still time before I cast my vote (I know, I could have voted early, but I kind of like the idea of voting on Election Day and also I hate making decisions before I absolutely have to). This is morbid, but what if there had been early voting in the Wellstone/Coleman race? What would have happened to all those votes? I’m not against early voting – I know it helps turnout, which I think is important – but I am sort of a last minute kind of person.

I’d love to hear opinions on this! And BE A VOTER!!!