Kurt Bills' U.S. Senate Campaign Gets Big GOP Boost

Minnesota Rep. Kurt Bills’ (R-Rosemount) U.S. Senate campaign got a big GOP shot in the arm on Wednesday when the first-term District 37B Representative announced the backing of 34 fellow Republican legislators in the Minnesota House. Bills had previously from Presidential candidate Ron Paul in his bid to win the GOP endorsement to face Democrat Amy Klobuchar in November.

“I am proud to have this growing group of fellow legislators standing here with me today,” said Bills. “This team, made up of a broad spectrum of Republican support, is ready to help statewide to ensure a successful election this November.”

The announced GOP support list included a diverse mix of both metro and rural colleagues, including District 36A Representative Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville) and District 36B Representative Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington). State Sen. Chris Gerlach (R-District 37) also signed on in support of Bills’ campaign.

According to a previous news release, Bills said he has already raised more than $50,000 for his U.S. Senate campaign in just the “first three weeks of fundraising.” He said the money has come from more than 500 donors. Bills to seek the GOP nomination in early March.

That figure, while seemingly impressive, pales in comparison to the $5.2 million in campaign cash Klobuchar is currently reported to have in her coffers.

The show of GOP muscle heading into the nominating conventions is a timely boost for Bills in seeking to win a showdown with Klobuchar in November. The Advanced Placement economics teacher at is campaigning, in part, on a platform of what he calls Econ101 and frequently posts economic ‘lessons’ on his campaign Facebook page. Bills has also garnered enthusiastic support from many of his former students.

However, before he can get to Klobuchar, Bills will have to win the nomination which is also being targeted by Vets for Freedom executive director, Princeton grad and combat veteran Pete Hegseth of Stillwater. Hegseth made a loud splash when he entered the race ahead of Bills in March.

He has reported earning $160,000 in campaign contributions during his first month of candidacy.

The Hegseth campaign was quick to fire a response to Bills' announcement today. In an email to Patch, Hegseth campaign spokespman Kyler Nerison said:

"The bigger story is that more than half of Representative Bills’ Republican House colleagues haven’t endorsed him. It could be that as the handpicked candidate, they are worried about Representative Bills' ties to the Ron Paul establishment and their extreme positions."

Former four-term state Rep. Dan Severson also announced his intention to seek the nomination last May, but has yet to move the campaign contribution dial in ways similar to Bills and Hegseth.

Editor's note: This story has been updated from its original version to include a formal response from Pete Hegseth's campaign.