Kendall Qualls is not backing away from his running mate.
On Saturday, the Republican hopeful stood shoulder to shoulder with Brian Nicholson in a short video posted to X and brushed off recent reporting that shows Nicholson on the U.S. Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, calling the stories "hit pieces." The public show of support keeps the controversy front and center as the GOP primary creeps closer to August.
The Minnesota Star Tribune published a photo and video that place Nicholson on the Capitol lawn in a crowd that had pushed past police barriers on Jan. 6. The outlet reported it has no evidence Nicholson entered the building. The photo, which the Star Tribune said was originally published by the Washingtonian, appears to show Nicholson beyond a breached security barricade on the Capitol grounds. The story has sparked questions about how thoroughly Qualls vetted his pick and whether the ticket can win over moderate Republicans.
In the X video, Qualls labeled the Star Tribune reporting "hit pieces" and said Nicholson had voluntarily disclosed that he was in Washington when the two discussed the lieutenant governor slot, according to KSTP. Nicholson said he went to Washington "to hear from President Trump" and "left when things started getting crazy." KSTP noted that Nicholson has not been charged in connection with Jan. 6. The campaign maintains Nicholson never entered the Capitol and argues that reporters could have asked him directly for comment.
Nicholson also told local television that he was "one of thousands of patriots" who traveled to Washington and that he "doesn't apologize for being there," according to CBS Minnesota, which cited a statement to WCCO. CBS highlighted Qualls' comment in the video, "It wasn't an issue for me then, and it's not an issue for me now," and noted that the revelation has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republican officials. The fallout has kept the campaign under a renewed media spotlight as political pushback grows.
DFL Calls For Candidates To Disavow
The Minnesota DFL responded with a sharply worded press release urging Qualls and other Republican candidates to disavow Nicholson. Party chair Richard Carlbom said any Republican who refuses to cut ties with Nicholson is "wholly unfit to be governor." The DFL statement also cited reporting that said Nicholson was past a breached barricade on Jan. 6 and used the episode to argue that election denial remains very much alive in Minnesota politics, according to the Minnesota DFL.
What It Means For The GOP Primary
Qualls secured the Minnesota GOP endorsement in May and now heads into an August primary where his choice of running mate could shape how voters view the ticket's electability, especially in the suburbs and among more moderate Republicans. Axios Twin Cities reported that the endorsement set up a contested primary, and the Star Tribune wrote that the Jan. 6 revelation could simultaneously firm up support among hardline conservatives and alienate moderates.
With the state primary scheduled for Aug. 11, campaigns have a tight window to shape the narrative and for rivals to press Qualls on his judgment, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State's election calendar. Documents from the Minnesota Secretary of State lay out filing and primary deadlines that ensure the controversy will still be in play when Republicans head to the polls in August.
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