The Republican and Democratic candidates vying to replace Minnesota’ s outgoing governor Tim Walz sparred in their final debate Wednesday over the massive fraud scandal that has unfolded in the state, health care and rising gas prices.

«A vote for Amy Klobuchar is a vote for a Tim Walz third term,» Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in her opening statement after painting Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar as the «status quo» candidate in a «state in crisis» over the $ 9 billion fraud scandal.

Klobuchar pushed back in her opening statement, saying, «I don’t like the status quo. I hate the status quo.»

WALZ’S ‘EXIT INTERVIEW’ REFLECTING ON HIS TENURE SPARKS LAWMAKER DEBATE ABOUT HIS LEGACY: ‘NEVER SERIOUS’

The first question of the debate focused on fraud, a recurring topic throughout the night, and what each candidate would do to combat it.

«Fraud unchecked here in the state of Minnesota has gone far too long, and it has finally come to the surface,» Demuth said. «The thing that I will do on day one is I am going to be firing all commissioners, choosing new commissioners that are expert in their field, that will carry out the accountability and transparency that is needed in our state. We have to change the culture of fraud.»

Klobuchar attempted to distance herself from Walz when addressing the issue.

«The fraud is simply unacceptable and as a former prosecutor, I’m going to send those fraudsters to jail,» Klobuchar said. «Tim Walz should have caught the fraud earlier and he should have done more. He said it himself. And by the way, when my opponent references Tim Walz, I will say one thing. He is not seeking a third term. I am the one up here.»

Fraud came up again later in the debate, with Demuth criticizing Klobuchar’s close relationship with Walz.

«You have not heard my opponent differ from one policy bill that Tim Walz, who she calls an incredible governor, has allowed to go forward,» Demuth said. «I would love to hear one bill, one area, child care, fraudulent funding. I would love to hear that. If she is separating herself specifically from Tim Walz, Tim Walz allowed the child care fraud and other fraud here in the state of Minnesota to explode to $9 billion, never firing any of his commissioners or agency employees. But yet you have someone standing here tonight that is supporting everything from the incredible governor, as she has said he is.»

Klobuchar responded, «Rewind the tape on this debate please; you will see exactly how I said I differed from Tim Walz.»

In another tense moment, the candidates turned to rising gas prices, with Klobuchar attempting to link Demuth to the policies of the Trump administration.

«I can tell you the fastest way to bring down your gas prices, and that is to stop this War in Iran,» Klobuchar said. «That is it, beginning, middle and end. And when you look at what my opponent brings up, when we had a debate earlier this week, she actually brought up and blamed it on the Keystone pipeline. Then she blamed the health care costs on Barack Obama. I don’t know what will be next. Maybe Thomas Jefferson, but what I know is that Minnesotans understand what’s happened at the pump.»

EXPLOSIVE SLEEPER ISSUE COULD FUEL MIDTERM SHAKEUPS, TOP REPUBLICAN PREDICTS: ‘YOU’RE GONNA SEE SURPRISES’

Demuth blamed high costs in Minnesota on the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party’s (DFL) control of state government.

«We can talk about that Keystone pipeline that my opponent has voted against. That would have brought in 830,000 barrels of oil. It would have helped with the supply that we have here, yet she voted against it,» Demuth said. «But you have to ask yourself, why are things so expensive here in Minnesota? They are expensive because of overspending by a one party control in 2023 and 2024, I will bring down prices. I will right-size our state budget and make sure that you can afford your lives, that you can grow, thrive, and businesses will be coming to Minnesota to provide the jobs that are needed. It’s common sense, and that’s the decision that you have to make as you’re looking to this election this year.»

As Minnesotans continue to grapple with rising health care costs, the two candidates sparred over ObamaCare, which Klobuchar voted for in the U.S. Senate.

«It’s important to realize that we’re looking at all of the inputs and all of the reasons why our health care is more expensive,» Demuth said. «Senator Klobuchar supported the Affordable Care Act. She promised that it would bring down our health care. Unfortunately, we have seen anything but all of our health care since the Affordable Care Act has increased the health care cost to all Minnesotans.»

Klobuchar didn’t address ObamaCare in her response, instead pointing to Demuth’s position on abortion and accusing the Republican of being beholden to Big Pharma.

«You’ve heard from my opponent that, I don’t support certain things in health care, she’s talking about issues that are already settled,» Demuth said. «I think it’s quite rich to hear the fact that she is the one that broke the health care system as the deciding vote on the Affordable Care Act.»

During the health care discussion, Klobuchar argued that Demuth has not done enough to lower insulin prices and cited the support she has received from the family of Alex Smith, a 26-year-old Minnesotan who died while struggling to afford his insulin treatments.

«Just to clarify a very incorrect or untruthful lie that you just heard was the fact that I did vote yes for the Alex Smith insulin bill,» Demuth responded. «Back in April of 2020. The governor signed it into law the very next day.»

Klobuchar, who was first elected to the Senate in 2006, won all four of her Senate elections by healthy margins, including her 2024 reelection by nearly 16 points. Before serving in the Senate, Klobuchar was elected twice as county attorney in Hennepin County, Minnesota’s most populous. She also ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Demuth, who was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2018, has served as GOP leader in the chamber since the start of 2023 and as speaker for the past year and a half.

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El Tribunal Supremo Electoral de Guatemala inscribió a Dignidad como partido político y elevó a 28 el número de organizaciones vigentes antes de las elecciones generales de 2027.

La habilitación permite a la nueva agrupación participar en las actividades previstas por la legislación electoral y avanzar con sus asambleas internas.

La decisión fue autorizada por la Dirección General del Registro de Ciudadanos y quedó incorporada en una publicación oficial difundida por el Diario de Centro América.

Dignidad presentó la documentación requerida para completar su inscripción definitiva ante la autoridad electoral.

El informe del Registro de Ciudadanos, fechado el 9 de octubre, estableció que la agrupación reúne 29,736 afiliados. Su secretario general provisional, Gabriel Romero Pérez, presentó la solicitud junto con los documentos exigidos por el artículo 67 de la Ley Electoral y de Partidos Políticos.

La autoridad verificó posteriormente el cumplimiento de los requisitos establecidos en el artículo 69 de esa norma, conocida por sus siglas como LEPP, y avanzó con la publicación correspondiente. Ese paso formalizó la condición de Dignidad como partido político.

La constitución de Dignidad en Santo Domingo Suchitepéquez

La agrupación fue constituida mediante la escritura pública número 54, autorizada el 22 de septiembre en Santo Domingo Suchitepéquez, municipio del departamento de Suchitepéquez. El documento dispone que el partido utilizará el nombre Dignidad sin abreviatura.

La escritura también describe el emblema partidario, compuesto por elementos gráficos y la palabra que identifica a la organización. La publicación oficial detalla, además, sus estructuras territoriales en departamentos y municipios del país.

La dirigencia nacional provisional está encabezada por Romero Pérez como secretario general. Byron Alfredo González ocupa el cargo de secretario general adjunto y Javier Sánchez Lara integra el Comité Ejecutivo Nacional Provisional.

El documento divulgado durante ocho páginas incluye los nombres de responsables de organización, finanzas y formación política, entre otras áreas internas. Esas estructuras deberán sostener la actividad partidaria mientras se aproxima el proceso electoral.

La inscripción se concretó menos de tres semanas después de que el TSE oficializara, el 30 de septiembre, la constitución de Raíces. Esa agrupación, fundada por exdiputados del Movimiento Semilla, había elevado entonces a 27 la cantidad de partidos políticos vigentes.

Raíces es liderada por el diputado Samuel Pérez y reunió más de 44.000 afiliados durante los dos años de su proceso de formación. La organización quedó ubicada como la segunda con mayor afiliación en Guatemala, solo por detrás de la Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza.

El padrón partidario antes de los comicios de 2027

La expansión de las organizaciones habilitadas ocurre mientras el Departamento de Organizaciones Políticas del Registro de Ciudadanos mantiene un proceso de depuración y actualización de nóminas partidarias. En septiembre, esa dependencia confirmó que 26 partidos cumplían con el mínimo legal de afiliados.

La ley exige al menos 28,083 afiliados, una cifra equivalente al 0.30% del padrón empleado en las últimas elecciones generales. En ese momento, la afiliación partidaria total alcanzaba a 849,681 ciudadanos.

A inicios de octubre, el registro de personas afiliadas ya había superado los 895,000 ciudadanos. La actualización de esas nóminas se desarrolla mientras las organizaciones fortalecen su presencia territorial.

El TSE deberá convocar oficialmente al proceso electoral en enero de 2027. Hasta entonces, la cantidad de partidos vigentes podría modificarse porque aún existen comités en formación que buscan completar los requisitos legales para constituirse como nuevas organizaciones.

En los comicios de 2027, Guatemala elegirá presidente, diputados y autoridades municipales para el período 2028-2032.

Raíces integrado por disidentes del movimiento que llevo a Arévalo a la presidencia de Guatemala

El partido Raíces fue oficializado por el Tribunal Supremo Electoral de Guatemala como el segundo partido con más afiliados del país, solo detrás de la Unión Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE), y elevó a 27 el número de organizaciones políticas vigentes a nueve meses de las elecciones generales de 2027.

La agrupación fue creada por exdiputados del Movimiento Semilla, el partido que llevó a Bernardo Arévalo de León a la Presidencia en 2023.

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President Donald Trump was the unofficial third person onstage at Wednesday’s Michigan U.S. Senate debate, as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly invoked him while seeking to cast Republican Mike Rogers as Trump’s «sock puppet.»

El-Sayed mentioned Trump 18 times during the hour-long debate and repeatedly called Rogers’ responses «MAGA bingo,» accusing the Republican of relying on Trump-aligned talking points. Rogers, however, broke with Trump on a couple of trade issues.

The phrase became a running theme throughout the night, with El-Sayed declaring «MAGA bingo» after Rogers accused him of supporting socialist policies, open borders and defunding the police. Rogers eventually turned the attack back on his opponent, suggesting that the real bingo game was every time El-Sayed included Trump in his answer.

Rogers, however, did not align with Trump on every issue. He split with Trump on trade, calling the president’s tariffs a «mixed bag» and saying tariffs on Canada may have been «not well thought through.»

‘DESTROYING THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE’: EL-SAYED’S POLITICAL ORBIT COMPLICATES EFFORT TO MODERATE HIS IMAGE

He also opposed Chinese automakers building vehicles in the United States, saying during the debate that Congress should ban the ability for the Chinese to build cars in the United States. El-Sayed countered by pointing out that Trump has said he would be open to Chinese automakers building vehicles in the United States and questioned whether Rogers would stand up to Trump on the issue.

Wednesday evening marked the second debate between El-Sayed and Rogers, just weeks before Michigan’s midterm election. 

The battle for the swing state’s open Senate seat has drawn national attention not only because it could help determine control of the upper chamber, but because it has emerged as a major test of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing in a key battleground state.

El-Sayed, backed by progressive heavyweights including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has campaigned on a progressive agenda that includes Medicare for All, higher taxes on the wealthy, ending U.S. military aid to Israel and abolishing ICE.

While El-Sayed worked to paint Rogers as a Trump-aligned «corporate politician,» Rogers repeatedly branded his Democratic opponent as having a «pattern of deception,» accusing him of misrepresenting his record and shifting his positions.

MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED FIRES BACK AT CNN CHOOSING TO ‘FIXATE’ ON ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ COMMENTS

Throughout the debate, Rogers cast El-Sayed as being outside the political mainstream, tying the Democrat and his policies to the Democratic Socialists of America and hammering him over his past support for defunding the police.

Rogers also claimed that some of El-Sayed’s donors and supporters were tied to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood. 

At one point, Rogers questioned El-Sayed’s allegiance to the country after accusing El-Sayed of having donors tied to Hamas, asking, «Are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?» 

The most contentious moment of the debate came during a question on public safety, when Rogers hammered El-Sayed over his past support for defunding the police, accused him of deleting social media posts on the issue and pointed to El-Sayed’s past comments involving former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood.

El-Sayed fired back that it was «beneath» Rogers to question his commitment to the Constitution, declaring that he was «proud to be an American» and calling Rogers’ line of questioning «shameful.»

ROGERS ARGUES EL-SAYED IS VULNERABLE WITH 2 TRADITIONALLY DEMOCRATIC BLOCS AS OBAMA HEADS TO MICHIGAN

El-Sayed, a Muslim and first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Egypt, has faced scrutiny over his rhetoric on the war in Gaza and his positions on Israel, leading some members of Michigan’s Jewish community to openly disavow the Democratic candidate. During the debate, Rogers said that his campaign was doing well with the Jewish community, which he claimed is fearful of El-Sayed’s rhetoric. 

Rogers said that El-Sayed was too «extreme» for Michigan, pointing to prominent Democrats who said they can’t back the party’s nominee, including the former Michigan Democratic Party chairman and the former finance chair for Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s campaign.

Michigan Republicans echoed that argument following the debate, pointing out that El-Sayed used to campaign with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who once said that America deserved the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

«We cannot afford Abdul El-Sayed’s far-left, big-government policies, and we cannot risk electing a person who campaigns with the likes of Hasan Piker and seemingly justified the horrific terrorist attack targeting children and the Jewish community in Bloomfield Hills,» MIGOP Chairman Jim Runestad said in a statement.

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